


Coming Out

by days_of_storm



Series: The Words Not Spoken [4]
Category: My Engineer (TV)
Genre: A teeny bit of angst, Doggos - Freeform, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Relationship Talk, Smut, Snogging, Tattoos, Teasing, coming out to friends, early days in relationship, feel good fic, lots of fluff, trying to come to terms with being together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:48:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 55,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26414410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/days_of_storm/pseuds/days_of_storm
Summary: Ram and King consider coming out to their friends as a couple - it goes ... not exactly as planned.
Relationships: Bohn/Duen (My Engineer), King/Ram (My Engineer)
Series: The Words Not Spoken [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1863481
Comments: 189
Kudos: 354





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram's POV

When he woke up, his heart stopped. He wasn’t alone. Oh, far from it. King was in his arms, his back pressed to Ram’s chest and he couldn’t move at all, because his arm was trapped against King’s chest, as King was holding on to his arm with both of his hands. 

And it wasn’t a dream. He had dreamt of this almost every night since he had returned to King’s condo, alone and conflicted about what would happen afterwards. But now the dream was solid and real and warm and heavy on his other arm that had fallen asleep from the pressure of King’s head resting on it. 

Ram exhaled slowly, trying to come to terms with the fact that not only was this not a dream, but this also wasn’t accidental. It wasn’t King somehow snuggling up to him in the middle of the night, high on painkillers and in need of comfort. This was King who had asked him to hug him when they had gone to sleep. This was King who had told him “I love you,” and then he had given him a gift from his grandma who had all but adopted him into the family. This was King who had finally stopped trying to be considerate and kissed him, consciously and passionately and who had finally touched him in the shower, and then again on the bed, and then again in the kitchen when they had eaten a very late dinner consisting of leftovers and the snacks King still had from his journey. 

He could stop being afraid now. He could stop worrying about what King might think and just kiss him. He could touch him when he wanted and he could say all those things he had wanted to tell him for so long and hadn’t been able to. He could stare at him all he wanted now, at his beautiful face, his gorgeous lips that he now knew were oh so soft, at his hands, at the spot just under his jaw that he had longed to kiss for so long, and not be afraid of what King might think of him. And he could push him away to free his arm from the pressure of his head, because he didn’t need to be afraid that it would be the only chance he had to have King lying so close to him. 

“Hey,” he whispered and kissed the back of his head. “P'King, wake up.”

King sighed. “I’m awake.”

“Oh.” Ram wasn’t sure what to say. 

“I woke up a while ago and couldn’t go back to sleep.”

“Are you okay?”

King sighed again and moved onto his back, allowing Ram to pull his arm back. “Are you?”

“I asked first,” he smiled, aware that King wouldn't be able to see it in the dark but hoping he could hear it, and formed a fist, trying to get his blood flowing again. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” King apologised and took his arm into his hands, massaging it gently. “I’m okay. More than okay, actually.”

Ram kissed his cheek. “Me, too.”

“Was it just your arm?”

“Hmm.”

“Okay. I’ll get some water,” King said and then he pushed his face between Ram’s chin and his shoulder and kissed his neck. Ram couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped him. “Come back quickly,” he said, trying not to feel embarrassed. 

King chuckled and kissed him again before he climbed off the bed and left the room, only to return with two glasses of water a moment later. Ram sat up. “Here,” he pressed one into Ram’s hand, finding it even in the darkness. And it was not the one that had fallen asleep and was still full of pins and needles. Ram was touched by King’s consideration for that, especially since he sat down next to him and began massaging that arm again. 

“I was thinking,” King started after he had drunk half of the glass.

“Hmm?”

“Should we tell them?”

“Them?”

“Well, our friends?”

Ram remembered the telling glances he had received on the day when they left camp and he had looked at the photos Ting Ting had taken of them at the waterfall. He had smiled at the one in which King smiled goofily, which she had sent him only that morning, and once he had looked up, he found all of his friends looking at him with expressions that told him that they knew exactly why he was smiling. 

But it would be different if they would tell them, wouldn’t it? Something official, so they could stop making assumptions? “Are you afraid of telling them?” Ram asked, realising he hadn’t thought about how Bohn would react if his best friend dated the man who had punched him repeatedly in the face. 

King stopped massaging his arm and took hold of his hand, his thumb rubbing circled across his palm. “I don’t know. Boss made some comments a while ago, when I uploaded the photo I took on the bus as my profile picture. I couldn’t tell them anything, but not because I didn’t want to. It was just that I didn’t know yet that you …” he stopped and Ram leaned forward to rub his forehead against King’s shoulder. King made a small delighted sound and Ram lifted his head to receive a kiss from him. “I couldn’t say anything because I was afraid I might tell them about you and then it would never happen.”

Ram nodded. He knew exactly how King had felt. 

“And I thought they might tease you or try make something happen between us and I couldn’t risk scaring you away.”

Ram huffed. “I’m not sure they would have managed to do that, but I know what you mean. I was scared you would finally get tired of me. But somehow, you never did.”

King chuckled and leaned across the bed to put down his glass before he pulled Ram into his arms. “I missed you every day I didn’t see you.”

Ram finished his glass and set it aside before he climbed into King’s lap. It was too dark to really see his face, so he closed his eyes and let his hands find it before he kissed him gently. “I carved your name into the table outside the main building.”

King pushed him away a little bit and Ram was glad it was so dark because it meant that King couldn’t see his blush.

“I’m sorry for using your fear of dogs to make you beg me for help,” he added and pressed his face into the crook of King’s neck. 

King chuckled and hugged him tightly. “Oh, I can think of ways you can make that up to me.”

“I did buy you dinner,” Ram pointed out but King made an impatient noise. 

“I’m beginning to think you bought me dinner so you could spend time with me.”

“Hmm, maybe,” Ram admitted and King laughed, letting himself fall back, pulling Ram down with him. 

“So, are you going to tell your friends and I will tell mine? Or are we going to get them all together and just get it over with all at once?”

“I want to tell Duen first,” Ram decided. “He might help break the news to Bohn.”

“Do you think he’s going to challenge you?” King asked, running both hands along Ram’s arms and squeezing a little. Ram had to chuckle. 

“Do you think he’s going to fight me for your honour?”

“A little too late for that, isn’t it?” King grinned and Ram had to laugh out loud. 

“I don’t think telling him we had sex is going to help with that.”

“Hmm. He’ll just be judgemental that you put out so quickly.” King’s voice was bright with amusement and Ram wanted to kiss him breathless. 

“Oh, I put out quickly? You were the one who could barely hold back at the gym,” he teased and it had the desired effect. 

“Wow,” King said and then he rolled them over so he could straddle Ram’s hips. “You’re a bit of a bastard.”

“I take that as a compliment,” Ram said drily, surprised by how steady his voice was, considering how turned on he was. 

He saw King shake his head and for a moment he was just grateful that he could do that without being in pain. “You came three times,” King stated, slipping his hand under the t-shirt Ram was wearing. 

“So did you,” Ram shot back, arching into the touch. 

“Well, I deserved some attention, after what you did to me at the gym.”

Ram’s laugh turned into a moan when King’s hand reached his stomach and then slipped into his pants. 

“Hmm,” King hummed and leaned down to kiss him. “I’m tired.” Then he pulled his hand back and climbed off Ram and slid under the duvet next to Ram. 

Ram lay on his back, his hands in fists by his side, trying to reign in his breathing. “Okay, I deserved that,” he finally said and wanted to crawl under the covers with King, but King made an impatient noise and held down the duvet, so Ram couldn’t join him. “Fine,” Ram sighed and wrapped himself around King and the duvet. 

“Let me sleep,” King mumbled from inside his cocoon. 

Ram huffed and hugged him very tightly for a moment, before he pulled the other duvet around himself and moved around a little until he was comfortable enough despite his erection. Yet, he only fell asleep when King wormed one hand out from inside the duvet and clasped Ram's in his.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More fluff, basically. Ram's POV.

He woke up to sunlight and tickles. Ram sniffed and rubbed his face, unable to locate the sensation of very gentle touch against his skin that made the hair on his neck stand on end. He shifted a little, remembering that he had fallen asleep hugging a blanket roll in which King had been hidden, but now he was on his back, splayed out across the bed. 

As he moved, the sensation disappeared, only to return a moment later. This time he could locate it. 

Ram opened his eyes and looked down on himself. King sat cross legged next to him and very gently ran his finger along the outline of the tattoo on his lower stomach. He moaned at the touch, now that he recognised it, and King looked at him, a delighted smile on his face. 

“What time is it?” Ram asked, wondering why King looked so awake when he hadn’t been sleeping properly either. 

“Ten. I think.”

Ram inhaled deeply and then trapped King’s hand under his. King’s left eyebrow rose in a challenging way and Ram decided to wait and see what would happen. He wondered whether King would keep teasing him, or whether he might want to touch him after making him wait last night.

When King pulled his hand away, Ram was a little disappointed, but then he forgot all about that, because King leaned over and pressed his lips to the tattoo. “Did it hurt?” he asked against Ram’s skin, moving lower. Ram tried to ignore the fact that he was growing very hard very quickly. 

“I didn’t pay attention to that,” he said and King looked up, his lips leaving his skin for a moment. 

“Liar,” he decided. “You are very sensitive down here.” Then he moved lower still, pulling the waistband of his shorts with him. Just when Ram thought he would pull them off, he stopped and attached his lips to his skin and began sucking. 

Ram arched up and yelped, his hand letting go of King’s in order to bury both of his hands in his hair, though he wasn’t sure whether he should push him away or make him stay where he was. But King didn’t stop and Ram was slowly losing his mind. 

“Stop!” he finally gasped, trying to push King away from him. 

King stopped sucking and instead pressed a kiss to the bruise he had just painted on Ram’s skin. “Told you,” he said with a grin and straightened again, forcing Ram to let go of his hair. 

“I was drunk,” Ram admitted, touching the love bite gently with his index finger. “I don’t remember much.”

“Is that why you don’t get drunk anymore?” King asked, taking his hand in his. 

“Wait, you thought I was drunk …”

“I know you weren’t. I watched you win game after game. I just panicked in the morning.”

Ram sat up and moved a little closer until their knees were touching. He ignored his erection in favour of talking to King. “Last year of school wasn’t … good.”

“What happened?”

“I was sad,” Ram shrugged. “I didn’t know where I would go after finishing school. I mean, I knew I would go to university, if my grades were good enough, but I knew I wouldn’t be boxing professionally, and I knew I would lose my friends. I didn’t, after all, but I thought I would. I wasn’t in a good place. I fought people who tried to bully me for not speaking. I fought people who tried to bully Ruj. I carried a lot of bruises all the time.” He touched the tattoo on his ribs. “Two broke during a fight. My dad covered for me and mum never knew I didn’t have a bike accident.”

King brushed Ram’s hand to the side and placed his own across the tattoo. 

“I wasn’t in a good place. And I did drink a lot, but it didn’t stop me from worrying. It just meant I made some bad decisions.”

“And then you got this,” King asked, leaning over to kiss the dream catcher tattoo. Ram nodded. 

“And this one?” King asked, touching the wolf tattoo on his forearm. The one that had come to mean so much more to Ram after the bus ride. 

“That’s the one I really wanted.”

“Because of your dogs?” King moved both hands to his back. 

“Because there’s this misunderstanding of the lone wolf,” Ram said and leaned into King’s embrace. “Wolves are such social animals, but the notion of the lone wolf persists. For some time, I thought I was like that, but I’m really not.”

King moved back and uncrossed his legs only to climb into his lap a moment later, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him close. “You’re a very sexy wolf, though,” he said against Ram’s hair and it was so completely random that Ram had to laugh. “And I don’t think that your tattoo on your stomach was a bad decision.”

“No?”

“No. Because I really, really like it.”

Ram huffed and kissed King’s neck. “Okay.”

“Do you want breakfast?” King asked, brushing his hair out of his forehead and kissing him very gently. 

“Later. Not now. Now I need this,” Ram tightened his arms around King. 

“Okay,” he smiled and just held him, breathing deeply and slowly and allowing Ram to calm down again. The memories their conversation had awakened in him were still hovering at the edge of his consciousness. 

“Ai’Ning?” King finally asked and Ram looked up at him. 

“Hmm?”

“Should we ask Duen to meet tonight? Or do you want to talk to him alone.”

Ram leaned back a little, not sure whether he was happy or disappointed that King had gone back to his nickname. “You really want them to know, hmm?”

“I’ll have to go and see my mum and dad today, and Kumfah is going to be there. Grandma will have told her everything, so they will know. And Kumfah knows Tee, and if she tells Tee anything, then he’ll be the one telling everyone else and … oh, please come with me?”

“What?”

“To my parents? I want them to meet you.”

Ram pulled King back against his chest and hid his face in the crook of his neck. “Hmm,” he agreed, loving it when King took his face between his hands and made him move back just a little so he could kiss him. 

“Breakfast?”

“You’re really hungry, aren’t you?”

“Maybe,” King chuckled and kissed him again. 

“Can we take a shower first?” Ram asked and licked his lips and King did his best to give him a scandalised look, though his grin broke through after a couple of seconds. 

“Do you think I’ve already forgiven you?”

“You gave me a love bite,” Ram pointed out. “Isn’t that enough?”

“That was to prove a point.”

“So was taking you to the gym,” Ram grinned and King giggled. 

“I really, really like you, Ram Vera,” he said and kissed him again. “A lot,” he added between kisses. “A lot a lot.”

Ram felt himself blush and squeezed his eyes closed, kissing King back. 

“Okay,” King finally agreed. “Shower, and then breakfast, and then …”

Ram looked up at him with a smirk. 

“And then you dress up so my parents will know that I have a very good-looking boyfriend now.”

“Oh, is that true?”

King climbed off his lap and put some distance between them so he could look at him. Then he nodded. “Oh, it is.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter from Ram's POV. I swear they will actually leave the condo eventually XD

When King left him to shower alone, Ram couldn’t quite believe it. He considered touching himself, but then decided to wait and see if King might change his mind once he came out of the bathroom naked. 

He showered quickly and washed his hair, rubbing furiously at it for a moment to alleviate his frustration a little. Then he shaved, taking his time, remembering that he would meet King’s family today. 

King was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast, and Ram was so amazed that he forgot about his plan, wrapped the towel he had just used on his hair around his hips and walked up behind him. King blushed a little when Ram hugged him and rested his chin on his shoulder to watch him cut up vegetables. 

“I thought you didn’t cook.”

“I didn’t,” King admitted and petted Ram’s hands where they were clasped in front of his tummy. 

“What changed?”

“Grandma taught me a few things. She asked me what I wanted to cook for you first, and I told her I wanted to make you a proper dinner. And I will, someday. But today I wanted to make you breakfast, because you cooked me breakfast on your first morning here.”

Ram kissed his neck. “Thank you. I’ll go and get dressed.”

“Please don’t,” King stopped cutting. 

“Why not?” Ram felt goosebumps rise on his arms. 

King exhaled and then turned around in Ram’s arms. “I haven’t looked at you yet,” he said, pushing him away a little. “I mean, not enough.”

Ram rolled his eyes and pouted a little. “Just looking?” he tried to sound disappointed and it worked better than he had anticipated. King wiped his hands on his t-shirt and then he flattened them against Ram’s chest, squeezing. 

Ram grunted and leaned into his touch. 

King licked his lips and then leaned forward, kissing along Ram’s collar bone while his hands moved south. Before he had reached the edge of the towel, Ram had grown fully hard again. King smiled up at him when his hand wormed under the towel and he began to stroke him – gently at first, but with each gasp that escaped Ram, he added pressure and speed. 

Ram was distinctly aware of the sharp knife on the counter behind King, and though he desperately wanted to hold on to something for stability, he didn’t dare put his hands anywhere near it. Instead, he let his hands slide down King’s back, taking firm hold of King’s arse, and pulled him away from the counter. 

King almost fell against him, his face reflecting his surprise and arousal. “Bed,” King decided and let go of him, nudging him into the direction of the bedroom. 

Ram considered protesting, but he knew that it would be smart to lie down for this. 

“Wait,” King gasped when Ram dropped the towel. “The couch is closer!”

They tumbled onto it and King’s hand was immediately on him again while his lips sought out his neck. When he bit him, Ram arched up and moaned, but then he pushed King away from him, breathing hard. “No more love bites,” he told King, who looked somewhat disappointed. 

“Nowhere, where other people can see them,” Ram conceded and King’s face lit up. Oh god, he was doomed, wasn’t he? 

“Alright,” King began kissing down his chest and, to Ram’s delight, did what he had done to him last night. Yet, Ram hadn’t expected the effect King’s lips around his nipple would have. He felt a sharp flash of liquid heat rush down his spine and straight into his cock. The moment King wrapped his fingers around him, he came, his hands fisting at King’s t-shirt. 

But King didn’t pull away. He kissed his chest, open mouthed, swirling his tongue around his nipple only to suck it between his lips again. Ram shuddered violently, gasping for air, torn between pushing King away and hoping he would stay like this forever. When he bit down and pulled a little, grinning up at him, Ram was sure he hadn’t been done coming yet. 

“King, please!” he moaned and King let go of him. He threw his arm across Ram’s chest and rested his chin on his forearm. 

“Yes, Ning?”

Ram inhaled deeply and closed his eyes on his exhale. Then he lifted his hand to his face and pointed at his lips. Not seeing what King was doing, he hoped he would get the message across. When King’s lips met his, he smiled widely. 

“Do you need to shower again?” King asked after a long, unhurried but very intense kiss. 

“No,” Ram shook his head. “If I join you, we are never going to make it to your parents today. Let me finish cooking breakfast while you take a shower.”

“I thought this would take more time,” King grinned and wiped at Ram’s stomach with his hand. 

Ram shook his head. “I have no defences against you.”

King stopped moving and looked at him. He looked like he wanted to say something, and Ram felt reminded of the many times he had thought the same, only for King to not say anything after all, or to change the topic, and he wondered whether his instinct had been right those times as well. His heart was beating very quickly. 

“I wish I had known,” King finally said, propping his head up on his hand, his elbow next to Ram’s shoulder. 

Ram smiled. “Did you really not notice?”

“You have your face. Your body language.”

“It wasn’t the same with you,” Ram argued, finally finding the strength to move. He mirrored King by propping up his head, too, and looking at him. “I couldn’t stop looking at you.”

King leaned forward so that their foreheads and noses touched. “I thought that’s just how you are.”

“I ignore people,” Ram explained. “Like I tried to ignore you in the beginning.”

King laughed breathlessly and pulled back a little. “I gave you so much money just so you would talk to me.”

“Sorry.”

“No, don’t apologise. It was definitely worth it, in the end.”

Ram sighed shakily. “I thought you knew. Every time I couldn’t look away. I thought you knew exactly what was happening and you were just being kind by ignoring it.”

King laughed and hugged him close. “So, when I helped you with your homework those first few times and you didn’t really understand …”

“You were sitting _so_ close to me!” Ram complained, hiding his face from King. They lay like this, hugging each other close, Ram completely naked and King still completely dressed, until King’s stomach growled. 

“Go and shower,” Ram said, and, when King slowly detached himself from him, “thank you for this.”

“This?” King raised an eyebrow. 

Ram pointed at his chest, stomach and groin and King laughed. “No, I have to thank _you_!”

“For what?” Ram asked and King leaned down once again to kiss him. “For this,” he straightened again and indicated Ram’s entire body. Then he walked out of the room, leaving Ram on the couch, his heart in his throat.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't have any time to write until ... next Monday, I think, so I leave you with a teeny tiny cliffhanger ;)
> 
> This chapter is told from King's POV.

He hadn’t been prepared to find the kitchen table set, the food ready and Ram fully dressed when he came out of the bathroom. Walking into the kitchen, it hit him how lucky he was. Not only was Ram still with him, but he was everything he had wanted him to be and more. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Ram asked, wiping his hands on a tea towel. 

King shook his head and sniffed. “Nothing,” he said, clearing his throat when his voice broke. “I’m just happy.”

Ram’s expression pushed him over the edge and the tears finally fell. Ram pulled him into his arms and rubbed his back. “Don’t cry on my shirt,” he said quietly. “I don’t have another clean one.”

King chuckled and wiped his face on Ram’s shoulder. He earned a slap on his arse for it that made him grunt. 

“Okay,” he straightened up and stepped away, but Ram took his face between his hands and used his thumbs to wipe the remaining tears away. Then he kissed him very gently and let go of him. 

“Sit down and eat,” he told him and pulled out a chair for him. King sat down, taking hold of Ram’s wrist before he could walk around the table. 

Ram looked at him silently, the question clear in his eyes. 

King shook his head and let him go. He didn’t know why he had felt the need to hold on to him; to make sure he wouldn’t move away. 

They ate in silence, their feet touching under the table. 

“Anything I should know?” Ram finally asked, fiddling nervously with the cuffs on his shirt. 

“They will love you,” King said, being absolutely certain of it. 

“But, I’m … a man.”

King pondered that for a moment. He wasn’t sure if he had ever heard his parents pass judgement on anyone’s sexual orientation. They had never pressured him into bringing a girl home and only noted that he was very busy with studying and caring for his plants. But he took time to see his family, too, so they never complained. “I don’t know, to be honest. I never …”

Ram nodded. “Hmm. Me neither.”

“But did you … I mean …”

Ram swallowed around his spoon before he carefully pulled it out of his mouth. Then he nodded. “Last year. I just …” he blushed a little and avoided King’s eyes. King reached out to take his hand. 

“You don’t have to talk about it.”

Ram shook his head. “No. I want you to know about them.”

“Them?”

Ram rolled his eyes. 

“Sorry.”

“No,” he shook his head and sat up straight, looking at King. “I just found out that it was very easy to have sex without having to talk. You go to a club, you dance, you drink, you have sex. It made me feel good, for a while, until it didn’t. It never really meant anything. I didn’t have anyone, really. I never … loved anyone, until now.”

King intertwined their fingers. “Thank you for telling me.”

“So, you … never …?” Ram asked after a while, his cheeks gaining colour. 

King sighed, hoping he wasn’t going as red as Ram was, but knowing he wasn’t far off. 

“Just my hand and the internet,” he finally said and Ram’s eyes widened before he started giggling, almost upending his bowl on the table. Then he got up and hugged King from behind, pressing a kiss to his cheek and then his lips, still chuckling. “I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I’m sure it’s not how you imagined your first time to go.”

King sniffed and elbowed him gently. “It was fine.”

Ram laughed again and nuzzled his neck. “Let me make it up to you.”

King felt his ears burn, and he couldn’t think of a single thing to say. 

“Tonight, or whenever you are ready,” Ram detached himself from him, squeezing his shoulders before he returned to his chair. “A proper first time?”

King inhaled deeply and decided that there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Not with Ram. “I wouldn’t mind another first kiss, either,” he admitted, though he knew that the kiss they had shared after their return from the gym would be hard to surpass. 

Ram smiled sweetly at him and began eating again. 

They finished their breakfast in silence and King found himself looking around several times, expecting Ram’s dogs to suddenly pop up out of nowhere. Strangely, the thought itself didn’t scare him. He felt rather nostalgic about them. Maybe, if they went to see Duen, he would get to meet them again and maybe he wouldn’t panic immediately. 

He realised he had been lost in thoughts when he heard the noise of running water from the sink. Ram was already cleaning the dishes and King got up and helped him to dry them. 

“Should we go?” he asked after putting away the dried bowls. 

Ram nodded. “Let me do my hair and I’ll be ready.”

“Do you have to?” King asked before he could stop himself. 

Ram cocked his head and gave him a questioning look. 

“I just … like it when your hair is down.”

“I always look like I just got out of bed,” Ram complained and King couldn’t help but nod. 

“I see,” Ram said drily. “I’m sorry. Now that I know that I will most definitely style it.”

King pouted, as hard as he could, but Ram just laughed and squeezed his hand as he passed him on the way to the bathroom. King came along anyway, to watch him massage mousse into his hair and brush it away from his forehead. 

“That bad?” Ram asked, smirking at King through the mirror, looking so handsome that King reconsidered whether he really wanted to leave the condo with him. 

King shook his head. “It’s … fine,” he tried, knowing that Ram knew exactly what he was thinking. He grinned widely and King fell in love all over again. 

They took a cab to King’s parent’s house and he could feel Ram withdraw more the closer they got to the house. He was both surprised and curious to experience Ram’s change in habitus from the position of someone who had gotten used to him being talkative and charming. He wondered if his friends still found it baffling or whether they had long accepted that Ram had these distinct personalities. 

When they climbed out of the taxi, Ram looked like he had on the day King had met him. His face was neutral and his back was stiff. King gently placed his hand on the small of his back. “If you feel uncomfortable or overwhelmed, just go to the cabin, hmm? I’ll find you there.”

For a moment, Ram’s cold expression slipped and he looked radiant. King had to turn away to stop himself from kissing him. When Ram started walking towards the door as if trying to get it over with, he jogged after him and took his hand. Ram looked at him with wonder in his eyes before he turned to look at the door that was opened before they had even stepped onto the porch.

Bohn looked at them from inside the door frame, one eyebrow raised so high it had disappeared under his fringe.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram's POV

Ram fought the urge to let go of King’s hand but he felt his uncertainty slip away when King tightened his grip on him a little. 

“Hello,” King said, not bothering to raise his hands, pulling Ram up the steps to his door. “What are you doing here?”

Bohn sighed. He still looked very sceptical. “I wanted to surprise my best friend after he was away for ten days.”

“Did Kumfah text you?” King asked, and Bohn couldn’t hide the smirk that replaced his sneer. “I _knew_ it!” King said passionately. 

“So,” Bohn crossed his arms in front of his chest, still blocking the door. “It’s true, then?”

“What is?” King asked, sounding entirely innocent, and Ram was glad that he did all the talking because he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have said something offensive. 

“You two. Boyfriends.”

“Oh, that,” King grinned and looked at Ram, his eyes shining. “Yes.”

Ram knew he was walking a very thin line, but he leaned over and kissed King full on the lips in response. 

“Have been, for a while,” King added after the kiss, still looking at Ram. “Only, we didn’t know it yet.”

When Ram dared to look back at Bohn, he was honestly surprised to find him grinning. 

“I fucking knew it!” He turned around and walked into the house. King hurried after him, pulling Ram along. 

“Bohn, stop!” he called after his friend and caught up with him in the kitchen, where his mother and sister were cooking. King’s nephews were sitting at the large dining table, playing a game on a Switch. They looked up and waved when King stopped, pulling the phone from Bohn’s hands just as he started to type. 

“Oi,” Bohn tried to grab the phone but Ram took a step forward to put himself between him and King, and Bohn stopped moving. He raised his chin a little to be able to look down on Ram, but Ram just stared back at him. “We want to tell them,” he clarified when Bohn’s expression wavered a little. He wondered whether Bohn was, after all, a little afraid of him. 

And Bohn actually rolled his eyes. “Do you think they don’t know?”

Ram hated that he felt heat creep up his neck and into his cheeks. He was saved by King’s sister, who had watched them with the biggest smile on her face. She simply pushed past Bohn and hugged Ram, who didn’t quite know what to do with himself. 

“Ram, finally! I have been waiting for this moment. Welcome, welcome!” She released him, but only to push him away a little so she could look at him. Then she sighed and looked at King, making a face as if he had brought home a long-lost puppy. Ram wanted to see King’s face, but he didn’t dare move. 

When Kumfah took his hand and pulled him into the kitchen, he did look around for King, feeling a little overwhelmed. 

“Ma,” she said and pushed Ram out in front of her, presenting him to King’s mother like he was a gift to a queen. He knew his face was flushed by now, but he hoped that King’s mother would be rather like King and not like his sister. “This is your future son in law. His name is Ram and he has a very lovely voice.”

Ram knew she was giving King a telling look as she said that and he couldn’t help but smile. “Hello,” he said, pressing his slightly trembling hands together in greeting. “It is very nice to meet you,” he added, unsure how else to approach her. She was stunning and her body language was open, although she looked very much in control of the space she was occupying. 

She returned the greeting after a moment of just looking at him, before her smile widened. “So, you are the one King took to the cabin, hmm?” she asked and glanced at King. 

“How do you know that?” King asked and then stepped closer to kiss his mother’s cheek. “Hello, ma.”

“Oh, whispers in the wind.”

King sighed and stepped back to put one hand on Ram’s back. He felt himself relax immediately. 

“I did,” King admitted, slipping his hand around Ram’s waist to pull him closer. “I promise he’s not going to be any trouble.”

King’s mother laughed and shook her head before she leaned over to look at Ram’s dreamcatcher tattoo. “King, darling, maybe some trouble will do you good.”

King opened his mouth and then closed it again and Ram couldn’t help but smile. “P'Bohn told you about the match?” he asked and King’s mother nodded. 

“I don’t condone violence, but from what he told me, you were prepared to fight him for your friend’s honour. So, my King is in good hands, hmm?”

“More than prepared,” King added, relieved by his mother’s reaction. 

Ram elbowed him and Kumfah snorted behind them. 

“Uncle Ram fought uncle Bohn?” Kew suddenly piped up from the dining table. The two brothers looked impressed. “Mum was right. You are _so_ cool!”

Ram didn’t know what to say and King inhaled sharply. “Ram can cook, too,” he said, sounding quite proud and his mother’s entire demeanour changed.

“Ram,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “Don’t spoil him too much. He’s turning twenty-one soon and he needs to finally learn!”

Ram smiled. “He did cook me breakfast this morning,” he defended King, and King’s mother cocked her head. 

“Did he, now? Then he can help me finish cooking lunch. You go and sit outside and have something cold to drink, hmm?”

Ram wasn’t entirely sure whether he wanted to be separated from King just then, but he guessed that his mother was dying to hear King’s version about how they had come to be together and he did not want to make things awkward. 

Kumfah tapped his shoulder to signal him to let go of King and he did, but not without squeezing his hand. 

“Oh, and Ram?" King's mother called after him. "Welcome to the family!” He stopped and turned around, thanking her, maybe more earnestly than she would have expected. But he couldn’t not acknowledge how much it meant to him to be accepted so easily into King’s family. He worried a little about King’s father, whom he hadn’t met yet, but he was sure that he needed to be a kind man if the rest of the family was so sweet to him. King’s nephews grinned at him as he passed their table. He tried a small smile and hoped they wouldn’t see how awkward he felt.

Bohn was already sitting outside, a glass in his hand and a scowl on his face. Ram was pressed into a seat and handed a glass of his own. “I’ll be inside,” Kumfah said and winked at him. 

“You are very talkative today,” Bohn said, avoiding Ram’s eyes. 

Ram said nothing. Bohn got the message loud and clear.

“Listen, Ram. I’m not upset or anything. I knew King liked you for a long time, even if I couldn’t understand why. After the fight, I started to see.”

Ram slowly sipped his drink. 

“When Duen and I left that night, we saw you and him walk home. It was obvious that you … well.” He stopped and Ram put down his glass. 

“We weren’t yet,” he said quietly. Bohn looked at him in surprise. He clearly hadn’t expected Ram to say a single word to him after his one sentence inside. 

After Bohn had overcome his surprise, he suddenly smiled. “Oh, you were,” he said and sat up straight, his arms on the table. “I don’t know what happened to him before camp, but I have a hunch that you two were together. He just disappeared and didn’t answer my messages and then he turned up late to the bus with you in tow. You clearly knew about the injury, too. But then you two stopped talking, and I know that I wasn’t exactly paying attention to you, but something was off and none of your friends knew what had happened. In any case, when you two said good bye when King was leaving for his grandma’s, everyone knew that something was going on.”

Ram raised an eyebrow and Bohn shrugged. “Anyone who had paid attention,” he clarified.

“You weren’t, though,” Ram retorted, remembering how Duen and Bohn had been in their own little world on the day they had left, not bickering once on the bus ride home. 

“Boss and Mek were,” Bohn finally admitted. “And they saw you in the park together.”

Ram sighed. He had been so conflicted that day and then the attack on King had made everything worse. 

“Boss said you were very clearly about to kiss.”

“No,” Ram shook his head. He wouldn’t tell him about later, when they definitely had been, as he knew now, but the moment Boss and Mek had witnessed had definitely been misinterpreted. “King bit his tongue. I was just checking how bad it was.”

“You were on a date!” Bohn said, probably more passionately than he had intended, because he ducked a little and lowered his voice. “You were at the park, sitting on a bench and eating fried mango.”

“We were babysitting King’s nephews.”

Bohn scowled and Ram couldn’t help but smile at that. “I don’t need your permission, but I want to ask for King’s sake. Are you okay with this? Us, I mean, being together?”

Bohn sighed and rolled his eyes and Ram felt a weight lift from his shoulders he hadn’t realised he had carried since finding Bohn in King’s door. He had seen him sigh and roll his eyes at Duen about a hundred times. It always indicated that he was pretending to disagree when he secretly agreed. 

“Are you sure you aren’t just dating him so you can keep a close eye on me and Duen?”

Ram was actually impressed by how Bohn had managed to make this all about himself. 

“Oh, sure. I’m sleeping with him just so I can control you,” Ram said sarcastically, and then he stopped breathing, because Bohn’s eyes widened and he knew he shouldn’t have said anything. When Bohn blushed, he wondered whether he should apologise, but King’s words came back to him and he had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing. 

An awkward silence descended and Bohn leaned back again, slowly sipping on his drink, avoiding Ram’s eyes. 

Once again, King’s sister saved the day. She returned to fill their glasses, asking Bohn about Duen while throwing telling glances at Ram, as if trying to give him an opportunity to find something in Bohn’s answers to challenge him again. 

“Hey,” King’s hand landed on his shoulder just when Ram considered getting up and either fleeing into the kitchen or the cabin. “Are you alright?” 

“Why wouldn’t he be?” Bohn asked and King gave him the most judgemental look Ram had ever seen on him. Bohn stared back in the exact same fashion. 

“Food will be ready soon. Ning, come with me for a second?” Ram let himself be pulled up and back into the house. “I’ll give you the tour.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram's POV

Ram felt his ears burn, because he wasn’t sure whether King was serious about showing him the house, rescuing him from Bohn, or trying to be alone with him. Or a little bit of all of those. 

Yet, King started to talk about the house itself and how his grandmother had used to come and stay with them a lot when he was younger while his mother smiled at them across the counter. Then King suddenly stopped dead in his tracks and walked back a few paces. He looked past his nephews, who were deeply engrossed in their game. “Is that why you made the wreath?” he asked gently, turning back to Ram. “Because you saw the photo?”

Ram nodded. “When your sister drove me home …”

“And poured water all over you?”

“He was looking at the photo when it happened,” Kumfah piped up and winked at them. “The way he smiled at it; I knew he was in love with you!” Ram pretended that he wasn’t deeply embarrassed at the memory, but King looked at him, his face reflecting his surprise. Ram sighed and turned away, but King held him back by his hips. Then he moved his hands up a little and Ram’s breath hitched. His thumbs stroked his back just like his own had stroked King’s back after the bicycle ride to King’s condo.

When King pressed his forehead against his shoulder and then shook his head, he understood that King had only just realised that their feelings had been mutual even then. 

Ram inhaled deeply and took a tentative step forward. King let go of him and walked past him, towards his own room. 

“Don’t be too long. Bohn is waiting outside and the food will be ready in a minute,” King’s mother called after them. King didn’t acknowledge her words and opened the door to his room. He waited until Ram had walked inside before he closed it and leaned heavily against it. 

“Sorry, I need you to myself for a moment,” he finally said and then he opened his arms and stepped away from the door. Ram met him half way and hugged him tightly. 

“I might have told Bohn that we had sex,” he admitted against King’s neck. “No specifics, but …”

“Oh, that’s why he looked at you like that,” King chuckled. “You would have thought that in the ten days since everyone came back from camp he and Duen …”

“Ugh, I don’t want to think about that,” Ram playfully bit him and King grunted. “What? Not afraid of my teeth, are you?” Ram teased him and King let go of him. 

“You can’t do that to me. Not in my bedroom.”

“What is _that_ , specifically?” Ram asked, trying to look innocent and King sat down on the bed, looking flustered. 

“And you can’t do _that_ to me either!” he complained and pointed at Ram’s face. 

“You wanted to show me the house,” Ram reminded him. 

King blew out his breath and kept looking at Ram for a long moment, apparently undecided as to how to proceed. Ram knew they would be called to the table soon, so he couldn’t climb into King’s lap and kiss him the way he wanted to. 

He was just about to change his mind when a phone rang. It was neither his own nor King’s ringtone, and King looked just as confused as he did before he remembered that he had taken Bohn’s phone. 

He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the screen. “It’s Duen.”

Ram sighed and then stretched out his hand. King gave it to him, biting his lip. Ram nodded. 

“Hey Duen,” he said after he picked up. 

“Wait, where is Bohn? And why do you have his phone?”

“Long story. Listen. I have to tell you something.”

Duen was quiet for a moment and Ram felt his heart in his throat. 

“King and I …”

“Oh, thank god!” Duen interrupted him. 

“What?” Ram stared at King, who didn’t hear and had no idea what Duen had said. 

“I thought it was something serious. Is Bohn okay?”

“What. Why? Yes, he’s okay.”

“Okay, good, thank you. Why do you have his phone?”

“He was going to tell everyone …”

“What, about you and King? Ram, I’m sorry, but it’s not exactly news.”

Ram sat down on the bed next to King, because he wasn’t sure standing up was such a good idea. “It is to us.”

Duen actually laughed. “Oh Ram. You are living in his condo.”

“Yes.”

“Well …”

“What does that …”

“Ram,” Duen interrupted him again. He wondered whether he had gotten used to Bohn talking so much that he had started to do it to him. He couldn’t remember a single incident in which Duen hadn’t let him finish his sentences before. “I didn’t hear it, but on the last night of camp, King didn’t just tell you how he feels. He told every tent around yours as well.”

Ram felt himself blush. He looked at King who just looked confused. 

“Listen. I’m very happy for you. I mean, I’m honestly surprised it took you two so long to sort it out.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” he complained and Duen chuckled. 

“Because when you two were in the same space together, you were always looking at each other. Now, I know I am not romantic at all, but … the way King looked at you?”

“How did he look at me?” Ram asked, breathless all of the sudden. He took King’s hand in his and intertwined their fingers. 

“Like you were the only person there.”

“So, like Bohn looks at you?” Ram asked, knowing exactly that Duen needed to hear the same thing. 

“Does he?” Duen’s voice had risen by an octave and Ram grinned. 

“Yes.”

“Can you get him on the phone, please?”

“Can you ask him not to tell the others?”

“Ram, everyone knows.”

“We didn’t tell them, though.”

“Fine. I’ll tell him to keep quiet.”

“Thank you.”

“Now get him on the phone.”

“Can I hang up?” Ram asked, not wanting to leave the safety of King’s bedroom. 

“No, why would you … just …”

He sighed and got up, pulling King with him. They walked back through the kitchen and living room and then outside where Bohn was telling jokes to King’s nephews. 

“It’s Duen,” Ram said as he handed him the phone. Bohn’s face lit up and Ram couldn’t believe how happy that made him. After all, it meant that Duen had made the right choice. 

He found that he wanted to eavesdrop on the conversation, but King had a different idea. He pulled him away, down the path behind the house that led into the garden. Ram wondered whether he wanted to take him to the cabin, but King stopped as soon as they were out of sight. 

“What did he say?”

“That everyone knows already.”

“Oh.”

“They heard you, in the tent. I think.”

King blushed, suddenly and very vividly. 

“I mean, Ting Ting was drunk, so were Tee and Tang. Boss was completely drunk. So, I don’t know how much they heard.”

“Mek wasn’t drunk.”

“Do you think he told them?”

“Boss, definitely.”

“And Boss told Bohn. And probably Tee.”

“Probably, hmm.”

“So Duen knows because Bohn knew from Boss?”

“He said he could tell from the way you looked at me.”

“Oh, that’s why you asked.” King looked both embarrassed and pleased.

Ram nodded. “He sounds like he knew for a long time.”

“Remember how strange Ting Ting acted at the waterfall when Tang made that comment?”

“Oh god, do you think they talked about us?”

King sighed. “I’m pretty sure Bohn put money on it. The way he reacted when we arrived?”

Ram rubbed his face. “I’m not sure I want to know.”

“Can you kiss me?”

Ram was so surprised by King’s request that he forgot his discomfort for a moment. He stepped closer and took King’s face between his hands, looking at him for a moment before kissing him gently. When King wrapped his arms around him and pulled, he deepened the kiss. He allowed himself to not think of anything other than how soft and warm King’s lips were and how indecently good his tongue felt against his own. 

“Lunch is ready!” Kumfah’s voice floated around the garden and they stopped reluctantly. 

“Coming,” King called back, and Ram guessed that he had learned the hard way that not answering wouldn’t do any good. 

“Are you okay?” King asked and Ram kissed him again. 

“I’ll be okay.”

“Good enough?” King asked, taking his hand. 

“Yes. Good enough.” 

They made their way back to the patio and were told to sit down. Ram was relieved when King sat down next to him. Bohn looked at them with an expression that was completely new to Ram. He was neither pretending to not care, nor arrogant, nor cynical. He looked at them with a half-smile and when King raised his chin in question, it turned into a full blown one. 

“I’m happy for you,” Bohn explained. “That’s all.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King's POV

Ram was clearly baffled by Bohn’s admission, but King couldn’t say he was surprised. He knew that his friend had many flaws, but he also knew that he would support him, no matter what, just as he would support Bohn with Duen in any capacity he could. And he was glad to have Ram by his side, because it meant that Duen wouldn’t think that King would be only on Bohn’s side, if anything happened. 

And, apparently, Duen was entirely fine and unsurprised about their relationship, and he was relieved, even if he hadn’t thought that Duen would oppose it at all. He wondered once again if Ram and Duen had talked at all since he had come back. 

“Did you visit your dogs while I was away?” he asked and Ram seemed surprised, like hadn’t expected a change in topic. 

“I did.”

“And you didn’t talk to Duen about us?” He was speaking quietly, but he knew Bohn had heard. He gave him a warning look, just in case.

Ram shook his head. “I only told him that I’m staying at your condo.”

“Can we go and see him, later, I mean?”

“But I just told him.”

“Your dogs?” King asked, whispering. 

“What?” Ram stared at him. 

King bit his lip and shrugged. “I kind of miss them.”

He had not expected Ram to kiss him in response, and, for a second, he was so surprised that he couldn’t do anything other than just to sit there and come to terms with the fact that Ram was kissing him in full sight of his nephews and Bohn. Then he decided that it was too late to save face anyway and he began kissing him back, pushing one hand into Ram’s hair. 

“You must be Ram, then,” his father’s voice cut through the haze in his brain. They separated in a flash, moving away from each other as far as their chairs allowed. Ram was blushing rapidly and King didn’t know what to say. 

“I see, you already feel quite at home here,” his father continued. He looked stern, but King knew it was for show. 

“Hello dad. Sorry about this. It ... couldn’t be avoided,” he glanced at Ram who stared at his knees, his cheeks and neck pink, his hands pressed together in front of his chest in greeting. His heart contracted with love for him. 

“How was your trip?” his father asked instead of addressing the elephant in the room.

“Grandma sends her love. I helped her replant the eastern part of the garden. She’s doing alright. The train was on time, too, so all went well.”

“If the train was on time, why did you tell Kumfah that …”

King cocked his head and looked at Ram and back to his father. “I had some things to sort out.”

Ram made himself even smaller and King felt sorry for him, but he had to admit that he enjoyed how his father’s expression slowly melted into a benevolent smile as he looked at Ram. 

“I see?”

“Can we talk about that later?” King asked, not wanting Ram to feel more uncomfortable than necessary. “The food is ready. Come sit down, I’ll get you a drink.”

Ram looked up, panic clearly written on his face and King was reminded so vividly of the moment when he had suggested that Kumfah could drive him home on the day he had visited his condo for the first time that he couldn’t help himself. He reached out and drew him into his arms for a moment. “Relax, everything is fine,” he whispered into Ram’s ear, though the tension in his shoulders remained. 

He got up and went into the kitchen, fetching a glass of iced tea for his father. His mum held him back and pressed a bowl into his free hand, telling him to carry it outside. When he returned, he found his father sitting next to Ram, smiling. Ram still looked flustered, but his father was talking to him calmly and Ram nodded every now and then. King waited for a moment, watching them, feeling once again like he had somehow won the lottery without even knowing he had played. 

“Here,” he handed his father the glass before putting down the bowl on the table. He wanted to ask what they had been talking about, but Kumfah had followed him with more food and then his nephews began talking excitedly. “Mum, are you going to buy us a new video game now?”

“Hmm? Why? You only just …”

Kram held out his phone to her and King raced around the table, snagging it before his sister could take it. Bohn snorted and King shot him a dark look. Then he opened the camera app and found that they had indeed snapped several pictures of their kiss. He forwarded them to himself and then deleted not only the photos on the camera roll, but also in the cloud. “I’ll buy you one,” he said when he handed the phone back to his nephew. 

His sister looked disappointed, but she couldn’t hide a grin either. “I can’t believe I missed it.”

He shrugged. 

“Wasn’t much to look at anyway,” Bohn remarked drily and Ram gave him a searing look that made King laugh. 

“Sit down everyone,” his mother put the final bowl onto the table. “And let’s eat.”

King’s father got up and joined his mother on the other side of the table while King moved his own chair a little closer to Ram’s, just in case. He was rewarded immediately when Ram reached out for his hand under the table and began eating with his left hand. King found that he couldn’t stop smiling and not even another raised eyebrow from Bohn could change that.

The food was glorious and Ram was eating everything that was put onto his plate. When his mother offered him pickled ginger, though, King saw Ram flinch. Nevertheless, he allowed her to put it onto his plate. 

King squeezed his hand and then stole it from him, grinning at him when Ram looked up in surprise. 

“I told you stolen food tastes the best,” he explained and Ram’s expression melted into one of his private smiles that made his heart beat faster.

“Thank you,” Ram said very quietly and continued eating, his thumb stroking the back of King’s hand. 

After they had eaten for a bit, his parents began asking Ram questions and King knew that they would ask about his family eventually, and he didn’t quite know how to protect him from that. He had been impressed that Ram had talked to his mother at all, and apparently listened intently enough for his father to have a good second impression. He wasn’t so sure about the first. 

“So, I heard King has been tutoring you?” his mother asked and King relaxed a little. He had told her about how they had met, leaving out the details about the dog. 

Ram nodded and actually smiled widely. “He’s helped me more than any of the teachers,” he said and Bohn scoffed. Ram looked at him in surprise. “He did,” he reiterated. “He’s a very good teacher. I got my first perfect score in a test and I feel that I did well in my midterms, too.”

“Did you?” King asked, realising he had never had the chance to ask about the result of the test. “So, my pencil helped?”

Ram turned towards him, the smile still there. “Maybe. But you explaining things to me definitely did.”

King felt heat rise to his neck. “I’m glad.”

Ram nodded. “Me, too.” Then he turned back to the food and began eating again and King found everyone at the table stare at Ram with such fond expressions that he felt tears prick his eyes. He squeezed Ram’s hand again and Ram glanced up at him, his eyebrows knitting immediately. Then he looked up, noticing the silence, and everyone began to eat again, pretending that nothing extraordinary had happened.

When Ram looked back at him, King leaned forward, shielding their faces with his right hand, and kissed him. “I love you,” he said very, very quietly, still hidden behind his hand, and Ram’s confusion gave way to understanding. 

“Hey Bohn,” King asked once he felt it was safe to drop his hand and lean back again. “Are you going to see Duen later?”

Bohn nodded, his usual arrogant expression on his face when he tried not to show that he was happy about something. 

“Can you give us a ride?”

“You are not staying for dinner?” his mother asked, looking disappointed. 

“We’ll be back soon, I promise,” King smiled at her. “Ram needs to see his dogs and they are staying at Duen’s house, because …”

“King’s condo isn’t big enough,” Ram interrupted him. 

“They’re very big,” King added.

“They are huge!” Kram piped up. “And awesome!”

“And very fluffy!” Kew nodded. “Very fluffy.”

“And because you are scared of dogs,” Bohn added. 

King tried to glare at him but his family just chuckled. They all knew about his trauma and he had long since stopped being embarrassed about it. But then he had to think of Ram’s teeth on his neck and he began eating again, trying hard to think of something else. 

“Can I ask,” his father had finished his food and leaned back. “Why you were staying at King’s place and your dogs are staying at Duen’s place?”

King sat up straight, taking Ram’s hand in both of his. But, contrarily to what he had thought, Ram nodded. “My family is going through some problems right now and I had to get away for a while. King was kind enough to take me in. But the dogs are much too big for his place, and Duen’s family has a large house and his little sister loves them.”

“It’s not because of you … two that your family has issues?” King’s father asked, looking truly worried. 

Ram shook his head. “To be honest, they have no idea about me and King. My little brother might know, because he did come to campus one day to threaten King, just in case he was up to no good,” Ram grinned at King before he turned back, his face growing serious again, “but I haven’t seen them in two weeks and we only really ... became boyfriends yesterday. They don’t know about us.”

“Listen, Ram,” King’s mother leaned towards him a little. “You are welcome here anytime. And if you need our help, please ask.”

King’s father nodded his agreement and King wanted to cry. He had always known that he had an extraordinary family, but sometimes he forgot about it until he was reminded in moments like this one. 

Ram pulled his hand out of King’s to thank them, very sincerely, before he wiped a tear from his face almost stubbornly. 

When King looked at Bohn, he found him looking at Ram with open concern. “Is he okay?” he mouthed to King, and King wasn’t sure how to answer. He looked at Ram, and then remembered their earlier conversation.

“He will be,” he nodded.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King's POV
> 
> There are chapters that have plot. This is not one of them XD

King talked about his grandma a lot, hoping his parents wouldn’t ask about the volunteer trip. He wasn’t sure what he would tell them without Bohn making snarky comments and embarrassing both Ram and him. So, he kept to details and then to memories of former trips and he felt Ram relax next to him. He watched King, his expression neutral, but definitely interested. In a way, King felt that he needed to redeem his excessive scan of Ram’s facebook account by offering him memories of his family in return. 

Eventually, Kram and Kew grew bored and went inside to take a nap and when Ram suppressed a yawn, King wondered whether he should suggest taking one, too. 

He helped his parents clear the table while Kumfah took care of her kids, leaving Ram and Bohn alone at the table. Each time he came back outside to get something else, they looked at him as if expecting him to say something, and each time he squeezed Ram’s arm before picking up plates and bowls and left without a word. 

Finally, the table was cleared and King sat back down, pulling out his phone to check the time. “When are you meeting Duen?”

Bohn checked his watch. “At six. He’s out shopping with his mother.”

“Oh, so _that’s_ why you’re here,” King grinned. 

Bohn smirked. “No, I chose to come here, because I wanted to see you,” he said, but King knew it was a lie. 

“Everything good between you?”

Bohn sighed and nodded. “Thank you for making me see sense at camp.”

King smiled. “I’m glad you listened to me.”

“Can I ask why you two weren’t speaking during most of the weekend?”

Ram looked at King, and King squeezed his thigh. “Because I was an idiot.”

“Did you really only get together yesterday?” Bohn asked, not patient enough to ask King to specify. 

Ram shifted a little and King suddenly realised how high his hand sat on Ram’s leg. He pushed it towards his knee a little, ignoring Ram when he cleared his throat. “Yes,” King answered. “We … didn’t really talk while I was away.”

“Wait,” Bohn placed both of his elbows on the table and leaned forward, cradling his head in his hands, looking at them as if they were putting on a show just for him. “You confess your feelings and then you don’t talk about it for ten days? Are you insane?”

“When did you tell Duen how you feel?” King shot back. 

“Every day.”

“Oh, you didn’t.”

“I just didn’t tell you,” Bohn shrugged. “You would have made fun of me.”

“We did make fun of you.”

“See? It would have been even worse.”

“King wasn’t ready,” Ram said softly, and both Bohn and King stared at him. “Yesterday, he was.”

He put his hand on top of King’s and squeezed. 

Bohn scowled. “Why are you so sweet?” he asked, clearly disgusted with himself. “Ugh, now I’ll have to like you.”

King laughed and shook his head, and while Ram clearly tried to keep his face neutral, King could see that he barely held it together. He really hoped that Ram would come to like Bohn, too, eventually. Maybe, spending some time alone with him, without him trying to prove anything to the others, Ram was able to see Bohn for who he truly was. 

“I promise not to kill you, if you ever hurt Duen, but only for King’s sake,” Ram said solemnly and King lost it all over again. He threw his arm around his shoulder and pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his cheek. 

“So, we still have time until we have to leave,” he finally stated. “I suggest we take a nap?”

Bohn’s eyes narrowed and King was grateful that Ram kept his face straight. “Is that a euphemism?”

“No, we just didn’t get much sleep last night,” Ram said in a deadpan tone and King dissolved into giggles again. 

“Fuck me,” Bohn said under his breath. “Fine. Go and _take a nap_. I’ll just sit here.”

“You can take the other guest room.”

“Nah, I’ll hang out with your parents for a bit. Keep them away from your bedroom.”

“I told you …”

Ram very calmly placed his hand on his thigh and squeezed. King immediately stopped talking. 

“Anyway,” he continued when he found his voice again. “Wake us up if we’re still asleep in an hour?”

“I’m not going to go anywhere near your room either,” Bohn shook his head. “But if you don’t put your phone on silent, I might give you a call.”

Ram nodded and got up, pulling King along with him. 

“Just a nap!” Bohn called after them and King had to giggle again. 

This time, Ram did not bother walking very far into King's room, but he pulled King inside, and then immediately closed the door behind him, pushing him back against it, his hands on his hips. “Do you really want to sleep?” Ram asked and the breath that King had drawn to speak escaped him in a moan when Ram pressed closer. 

“I see,” Ram said with a smile and then kissed him, slowly at first, but as soon as King wrapped his arms around him, he deepened the kiss, moaning softly when King ran his fingernails along his spine. 

King felt his entire body react to the small sound. Suddenly he couldn’t be close enough to Ram and his hands pulled up his shirt so he could run his hands up and down his back before pushing his hands below his waistband to squeeze his arse. 

Ram flinched and pulled away from his lips, pressing his lips against his neck instead. When he squeezed again, Ram bit him. Not hard, but enough to make him feel his teeth. King shuddered. 

“Take off your shirt,” he murmured, aware that the door wasn’t exactly sound proof. 

“Are you serious?” Ram asked. “I mean, your parents are right outside.”

“We’ll be quiet,” King suggested, pulling his hands out of Ram’s trousers only to start unbuttoning his shirt. 

“What if they come in?”

King reached out and locked the door without his eyes leaving Ram’s face. “Not a problem.”

“I don’t think I can,” Ram shook his head, starting to redo the buttons King had just loosened. 

“Oh no, you don’t get to push me against the door and then not let me touch you!” King complained and followed his hands, undoing the buttons again. 

Ram gave him an exasperated look and King narrowed his eyes at him. “If you are doing this only to rile me up …”

“I’m not,” Ram said, sounding a little breathless, “and I really want to, but …”

King had managed to open all but one button and he pushed Ram’s fingers away, opening the last one. Then he pushed the shirt over Ram’s shoulders, and down, effectively trapping his arms behind his back because he hadn’t undone the cuffs yet. 

Looking down on his naked chest, King knew that Ram could take control at any moment. There was no way he would be able to hold his hands in place if Ram didn’t allow it. Nevertheless, he twisted the shirt, knowing it would crease and hoping that Ram would forgive him, until he could take hold of it with one hand, while both of Ram’s hands were tightly tucked together. 

By then, Ram was breathing heavily and King stepped around him, openly staring at him. The way the position of his arms forced him to stand up very straight, and how he looked both powerful and vulnerable at the same time, made him weak in the knees. 

“You are so gorgeous,” he whispered, stepping behind him again, touching the tattoo between his shoulders. Ram cocked his head, but he did not say anything. King bit his lip and let his hand slip down a little until he could feel his heartbeat. Realising how fast Ram’s heart was beating and knowing that Ram allowed him to feel it without inhibition, made his own heart take up speed. 

“Is this okay?” he asked, aware that Ram hadn’t consented to what he was doing to him. Ram inhaled sharply and then held his breath for a moment. Then he nodded, just once, letting the air escape in a sigh. 

King squeezed his shoulder and then leaned forward to kiss it, moving along to the base of his neck and then to the other side. “Hold this for me?” he asked and placed the bunched-up shirt into Ram’s trapped hands so he was effectively holding himself captive. When he held on to it, King felt a spark of white heat settle in his belly. He stepped around him again, fighting to keep his hands to himself for the moment. 

When he let his eyes wander from Ram’s chest towards his belly and then to the bulge in his trousers, Ram frowned. “Wait,” he said, his voice a little shaky. “I wanted the next time to be your first time … again.”

King remembered their conversation earlier and he sighed. “Well,” he breathed, stepping a little closer, looking at Ram’s lips only to see whether Ram would mirror him, and feeling utterly delighted when he did, “Does it count if I don’t come?”

“What?”

“If I make you come, then it doesn’t count, does it?”

“Are you telling me that I can’t touch you?”

King shrugged. “Maybe?”

“No,” Ram let go of the shirt and with a very smooth move, he pulled it back up and over his shoulders. King could only stare. 

“I’m sorry, but if I don’t get to touch you … we’re not doing this.”

“But … but _you_ said that I shouldn’t have sex right now.”

“Yes.”

“Ram!” King complained and Ram shook his head, buttoning his shirt again. 

“This isn’t fair!” he tried again, but Ram simply smoothed his hands over his shirt, frowning at the creases. 

“You’re my junior, you have to do what I tell you!”

Ram looked up at him from under his eyelashes, pouting, and King felt his heart in his throat. 

“Fuck you!” he said passionately, and Ram had the audacity to smirk.

“Tonight. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friend Mazarin221b posted a super hot fic this morning, so make sure to read that! She had a very similar idea to the one I had in Homecoming <3 https://archiveofourown.org/works/26616298


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram's POV
> 
> (Still no plot to be found anywhere. Heh.)

He was almost sure that King would not let him get away with it, but when he simply stared at him, his eyes wide in shock and his mouth slightly open, he realised that he had won. For now. 

“Come to bed,” Ram said, hoping that King would allow him to cuddle him at least. 

King closed his mouth and frowned a little, and Ram leaned forward to kiss him very gently. “Please?”

King deflated a little. “You know that this is unfair,” he said petulantly. 

Ram shrugged and toed off his shoes, feeling a little guilty that he hadn’t taken them off in the hall, before climbing into King’s bed, his heart still beating heavily in his chest. He lay down on top of the covers and then petted the space next to him. 

King made an impatient noise and kicked off his slippers before he took two quick steps and jumped, landing half on top of Ram. This time, he was the one who squealed and King wrapped his arms around him tightly, laughing against his shoulder. 

“You better make this up to me,” he said against his neck, making himself more comfortable by attaching himself to Ram’s back and throwing one leg across Ram’s. 

“I promise.”

King grunted his approval. “Are we actually going to sleep like this?” he finally asked, pushing his hips against Ram’s arse and Ram almost changed his mind. 

“If you don’t do that again, then yes,” he said, his voice a little less calm than he had hoped it would be. 

King slipped one arm under Ram’s to hug him against his chest and pressed forward once again. This time, he moaned quietly. 

“P’King, please!” Ram begged, intertwining their fingers across his chest. 

“I’m just making sure you suffer as much as I do,” King said and kissed his neck once again before he moved a little further up and pressed a kiss to Ram’s dreamcatcher tattoo. Then he blew on it, very lightly, but Ram shivered at the sensation of it. 

“Now it’ll work,” King said softly and then relaxed behind him. 

Ram felt his heart in his throat and for a moment he couldn’t breathe properly. Then he let go of King’s hand and turned around in his arms, hugging him tightly against his chest. 

King seemed surprised, but when he moved back a little to look at Ram, he knew that King understood why he was emotional. He smiled sweetly and then kissed his forehead and Ram felt a tear slip down his face and disappear in the pillow under his head. King kissed its trail on his cheekbone and then his eye brow and Ram closed his eyes and let King kiss him very gently, and he grew drunk on the sensation, sighing languidly. 

“I’m sorry,” King said after he had stopped kissing him and Ram felt himself drift off. 

“Hmm?” he asked, too tired to open his eyes. 

“That I wasn’t ready, before yesterday. Earlier, I thought about the day when I took you to the cabin and …”

Ram smiled. Despite the pain of his father’s betrayal, that afternoon would forever be one of his fondest memories. 

“And the way you looked at me,” King said, so close that Ram could feel his breath on his face even though he spoke very quietly. “I should have known. And I did, I think. Only, I panicked.”

“Very prettily,” Ram nodded and raised his chin a little. King understood and kissed him again. 

“Don’t be sorry,” Ram finally managed to open his eyes and he pushed King's hair out of his face. “You saved me that day.”

King frowned and then sighed. “Still.”

“Still what?”

“I was so preoccupied hoping that you were looking at me like you did because you liked me that I couldn’t fathom that you actually did.”

“Neither did I.”

King sighed again. “Thank you for saying that.”

“It’s true.”

King smiled and pulled the duvet up behind him, covering them both with it. As they partly lay on it, they were trapped together like this. “I want to hold you,” King said after a moment of lying like this. “I promise not to … you know.”

Ram smiled. “I don’t mind so much, but it’d keep me from falling asleep.” He turned around again and tucked the duvet under his knees and elbow, creating a cocoon. King pressed himself against him, with the exception of his hips, and then kissed his neck again. 

Ram tried to push away the arousal that still lingered in his bones. He concentrated on the solid warmth against his back and the hand that was pressed against his chest, holding him close and making him feel safe. As King’s breathing slowed, so did his own, and he finally fell asleep. 

King’s phone woke him up and for a moment he felt transported back to that morning before they had left for camp, when King had dragged him out of bed, suggesting that they’d take a shower together. He smiled at the memory. King had clearly checked him out in the mirror that morning. 

King grunted and tried to reach for his phone in his trousers and Ram let go of the duvet, making movement easier. But he wasn’t ready to get up yet. Instead, he turned around and draped himself across King, who had rolled onto his back to answer the phone. “I’m awake,” he announced and then yawned so widely his jaw cracked. “Sort of.”

He listened to who Ram presumed was Bohn for a while without saying anything, before he finally sighed loudly. “Fine. I’ll be right outside.” He hung up and dropped the phone on the mattress next to him. Then he wrapped his arms around Ram and closed his eyes again with a much more contented sigh. 

“You promised to get up,” Ram said quietly, nudging his chin with his nose. 

“I can’t. I have a Ram on me.”

Ram huffed and shifted his weight so he was in fact holding King down. “Bohn is not going to like this.”

“I really don’t care about whether he likes this or not.”

Ram smiled and kissed his chest. “Hmm, could you take off your t-shirt?”

King grunted and pulled a face. “No, I can’t and you know it.”

“Okay,” Ram nodded and then pushed himself up for just long enough to be able to pull King’s t-shirt up to his chest before settling down again and kissing his skin this time. 

“I hate you,” King said, smiling widely at the ceiling. 

“Hmm,” Ram answered and kissed him again. 

“Stop it,” King half-heartedly tried to push him off, but Ram wasn’t going to let him so easily. He pushed the t-shirt up just a little more, and then he licked the newly exposed nipple in front of his face. 

“Ai'Ning! Stop it!” King complained again, sounding more determined now. 

Ram smiled sweetly at him and then sucked on it, swirling his tongue around the hardening bud between his lips. The way King arched up in reaction set Ram’s body alight with desire. He had not expected that, and neither had he expected that King would just drop his hands to his sides, effectively surrendering himself to him. 

Ram rolled off him quickly, feeling his neck grow hot. They were still in King’s family home and Bohn was waiting for them to come out of the bedroom within the next couple of minutes and now he was achingly hard and unable to focus on anything but King’s surrender to him. He sat on the edge of the bed, his back to King, trying to slow his breathing. 

“You are the worst tease!” King complained and sat up, pushing his t-shirt down. Then he crawled over to where Ram sat and kissed his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Ram looked at him, surprised and amazed by the question. He nodded, wondering if King could tell from his expression how in love he was with him. “You go ahead. I’ll need a minute.”

King grinned and kissed his cheek before he climbed off the bed, tried in vain to straighten his clothes, went to his wardrobe to switch t-shirts, all the while smiling at Ram, before he unlocked the door. “Don’t be too long,” he winked and then left Ram sitting alone on King’s bed, his heart thundering and his trousers much too tight.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram’s POV
> 
> This is sort of a reference to the book Ram is reading at the library when King sees him for the first time. A dog training book. When I saw what it was, I cried laughing, because I'm sure King thought Ram was reading something engineery :p But, it's about training your dog in ten steps through positive reinforcement and I just imagine that his knowledge came in handy in all of this :)

When he finally felt ready to face Bohn and the rest of King’s family again, he found them all on the veranda, drinking tea and chatting. King, who had been talking excitedly, smiled widely when he saw him and Ram couldn’t help but smile back. He did his best to look tired, hoping they would excuse the state of his clothes by thinking he had just had a very thorough nap. He did notice some glances at King’s shirt, though, and Bohn’s eyes caught on the wrinkles of his own, but he decided not to address it, since clearly nobody else wanted to. 

He accepted a cup of tea that King’s mum pressed into his hands and when King gently squeezed his arm as he sat down, he felt emotional once again over how easily they all accepted him in their midst. 

He was almost sad when Bohn announced that it was time to go, and he promised several times to come back soon and that, yes, he would make King cook more and no, he wouldn’t spoil him too much, and yes, he would absolutely come and cook for them one day. 

Sitting down in the back of Bohn’s car, he closed his eyes for a moment, trying to take it all in. 

“I didn’t know about your family,” Bohn said after they had driven for a while and Ram opened his eyes just in time to see King, who sat next to Bohn in the front, smack his arm. He inhaled deeply, waiting for the pain to come, but somehow, it all seemed a little less horrible after spending a day with King’s family. 

“How could you?” he asked instead, “I never told anyone, except King.”

Bohn looked at him through the rear-view mirror. “I’m sorry.”

King turned around, concern clearly written on his face and Ram loved him for it. He nodded at his silent question and King sat back, but he reached his hand out for Ram to take. 

They spent the rest of the ride in silence and Ram knew he would have to face the inevitable eventually. He knew that Duen had spoken to his mother several times during the last week, but he hadn’t told her why he had run away or where he was, only that he was alright. And now he had the perfect excuse to come home and see her. 

He would take the dogs home and make his father promise to take care of them, like he had in the past, and to break off any kind of relationship he still had with his former friend. But no matter how things would go with his father, he was certain that his mother would be happy for him, and Ruj … Ruj would never let him hear the end of it, because he had figured out who King to him was all on his own. 

When they reached Duen’s home, Ram found that he wasn’t quite as scared of seeing his family anymore. 

Duen greeted them at the door, looking down on Bohn from the threshold with a horrible attempt at an arrogant expression. Ram bit back a smile when Bohn actually blushed at little. “Oi, aren’t you going to ask us to come in?” he stepped forward, but Duen didn’t budge. After a couple of seconds, he turned his face and pointed at his cheek. 

Bohn huffed and then leaned forward, but, a second before touching his cheek, he placed one hand against the side of Duen’s face and turned his head, kissing him full on the lips. 

King snorted next to him even as Duen pulled back and punched Bohn’s shoulder, only to grin at him a moment later. Bohn shook his head in exasperation while Duen pulled him inside. 

“Hey,” he greeted King and Ram, “how are you?”

“Taken,” King announced, grinning widely. He put his hand on the small of Ram’s back, pushing him forward. 

Duen giggled and stepped out of the way, letting them inside. As soon as Ram had toed off his shoes, he walked to the back of the house, calling out a greeting to Duen’s mum, and made his way towards the winter garden which had become the temporary home of his dogs. They greeted him excitedly, nosing at his hands in the hopes for treats and pushing against him for cuddles. He sat down between them and tried to hug them all at once while fending off tongues that tried to lick his face. 

After he felt them calm down a little, he made them sit down. “P’King?” he asked, knowing that King had watched him through the glass screen. “You can come in now.”

He did not turn around when he heard the screen opened. “Close it,” he asked gently. “Just to make sure they don’t run off.”

“What if I need to run off?” King asked, sounding like he wanted nothing more than to do just that. Ram smiled. He couldn’t understand King’s fear, because he loved his dogs so much, but he could understand that it took King immense strength to even set foot into the room.

Ram kept his eyes trained on the dogs, just to make sure they were relaxed and didn’t feel threatened by King. Then he petted the floor next to him. “Come here.”

“Do I have to sit?” King asked. 

“No.”

“Okay.”

When King stepped next to him, he reached out to touch his calf, watching the dog’s reaction. They did not seem to mind, so he raised one finger. “Boat?” The largest of the dogs sat to attention and Ram regretted not having any treats with him after all. “Come here. Sit.” The dog stood and then let itself drop down in front of Ram, clearly wanting to be cuddled some more. Ram had to chuckle. “You were supposed to sit,” he buried his hands in his dog’s fur and rubbed. “Come on. Up.”

The dog reluctantly rose and licked Ram square across his face. King made a disgusted noise and Ram had to laugh. “I promise to wash before kissing you again.”

“What if it bites your face?” King asked, sounding astonished. 

“That’s not going to happen.”

“How can you be sure?”

Ram looked at him, forgetting that he had wanted to take things slow and not pay too much attention to King in case the dogs followed his lead. “I just am,” he petted King’s calf again. 

King blew out his breath noisily and then very slowly and carefully reached out for the dog’s head. Ram placed his hand behind his ears, rubbing gently. When King’s hand settled right next to his, he pulled away and made room for King to do the same. He smiled widely when King lowered himself a little and finally knelt down, keeping his hand where it was. 

Then he added a second hand, hesitantly petting down the dog’s neck and then up again and Ram couldn’t stop himself from placing his own hand on top of King’s, squeezing gently. “You are doing so well,” he said quietly. 

But then Duen stuck his head in and asked if they wanted something to drink and Boat stood up, its tail swishing excitedly, but King startled and dropped back, which the dog took at a sign to follow him. King made a panicked noise and crawled back further, before he resigned himself to his fate, lay down on the floor and covered his face with his hands. 

Ram knew he should probably interfere, but when Boat simply dropped down in front of King and rested its head on his stomach, he felt so overwhelmed with love that he couldn’t move. 

“Bad timing?” Duen asked and Ram had to chuckle. 

“P’King, you’re fine,” he slid across the floor to where King still lay motionless except for his rapid breathing, and then lay down on the other side of him, resting his own head next to his dog’s, looking up at King. 

Duen nodded and silently closed the door again. 

“Hey, love, everything is fine,” Ram said again, and very gently pulled one hand away from King’s face. This time, King lifted his head to look down on himself and immediately dropped it again. 

“I think I just had a heart attack,” King finally said, his breathing quieting down somewhat. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think we’d be interrupted. Boat does get excited sometimes.” He poked his dog’s snout and then rubbed one ear. “But none of them have ever bitten anyone.”

“Let me just lie here for a second.”

“Do you want to meet the other two?” Ram asked and nuzzled King’s stomach, who grunted in reaction. 

“Not lying down, no.”

“Okay,” Ram smiled and sat up again. “Boat is asking for attention, though.”

King inhaled deeply and stared down at the dog that still lay flattened across the floor and him as it looked up with wide eyes, clearly asking to be petted. “Now I know where you get that look from,” King reached out one hand and placed it on the dog’s head again. 

“What look?” Ram asked, tucking his chin close to his chest so he could look up at King from under his eyelashes again despite looking down on him. 

King laughed and swatted his free hand at him. Then he pouted, too. “It’s not fair.”

“What is?”

“You, doing that.”

“Why?”

King pulled a face. “Because if you do that, I can feel it right here,” he pointed at his chest. 

“It’s not unfair, then,” Ram decided, stretching his shoulders a little. 

“Why not?”

“Because,” he looked at his hands in his lap. “I can feel it here,” he placed his right hand across his heart, “every time you look at me.”

King sat up abruptly, startling the dog that sat up and then moved away a little, and kissed Ram. “That is the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me,” King admitted when he pulled back. 

Ram nudged his shoulder with his nose, feeling a little light headed. “It’s just true, though,” he clarified and King shook his head. 

“How in the world did I think you were cold, Ram?” he asked, kissing him again. 

Ram wasn’t sure what to answer, so he said nothing when they separated again. 

“Okay,” King rose and slowly made his way over to where the dogs now lay huddled together in a pile. “They didn’t kill me when I kissed you, so I guess I passed that test, hmm?”

Ram sat back, watching King slowly kneel down again, holding out his hands for the dogs to smell before he inhaled sharply and then petted each dog in turn. 

He was right, Ram thought. The dogs hadn’t become jealous, which was worth a lot. And, judging from how calm they were, they did not even think King to be a stranger anymore. Maybe keeping them in his condo and allowing them to get used to his smell had helped them simply accept him as part of Ram’s life. 

“Hey Ning,” King pulled him out of his musings. 

“Hmm?”

“I know it might look like I’m not afraid anymore, but you’ll still have to protect me from other dogs, okay?”

Ram chuckled. “Oh, absolutely,” he promised, and he suddenly looked forward to going back to Uni after the break very much.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King's POV
> 
> The most amusing thing about this chapter is the scene in the bathroom, because I wanted to write this, and then the Lips+ Garcon video came out and I just about died, because it's one thing to imagine something and a whole different thing to see it actually play out (see below). 
> 
> (Apologies for not updating sooner. Last week was intense. I hope I'll get to write more often in the coming week)

His heart was still beating heavily, but he wasn’t sure whether it was because of the lingering fear of the dogs or because of what Ram has said. Even thinking about it made his heart ache a little bit. And he had called him “love.” King was sure that Ram hadn’t meant to, but that it had slipped out when King had been truly terrified and Ram had tried to calm him down, and he wondered whether it was something he had bitten back previously; one of the things he hadn’t dared to say when he had stayed silent. 

When they left the winter garden, he felt a little light headed and was glad when Ram suggested they go and wash their hands. He let cold water run across his wrists and then he splashed his face, too. When he straightened again, he saw Ram look at him with a surprisingly worried expression. 

“What’s wrong?”

“You kissed me,” Ram said, sounding like that was supposed to be something terrible.

“Umm.”

“You kissed me after Boat licked my face.”

Ah. Well, he hadn’t tasted dog, so … “I … forgot.”

“You’re not …”

King wondered whether his reaction should have been stronger, but, if he was really honest with himself, he didn’t care anymore. “I guess not,” he shrugged and he could see the tension drain from Ram’s shoulders. 

He came to stand next to him and washed his hands and face thoroughly before accepting the towel King had used before him to dry his face. King smiled and brushed some damp strands of hair out of his forehead before kissing him again. And that was something that he knew he would never grow tired of doing. His request for another first kiss was utterly nonsensical now, because every kiss was different, but they all sent the same spark through his body, sometimes so strongly that he felt like he would double over with the intensity of it. Their first kiss had been born out of panic and then relief and a lot of liquid courage, in his case, but he would never forget what it had felt like when Ram had started kissing him back. 

He moaned against Ram’s lips, feeling weak in his knees, remembering the moment that had changed everything. 

Ram pulled back, one eyebrow raised, and King laughed and kissed him again. “Sorry,” he apologised after he finally found the strength to pull away from him. 

“Why?”

King cocked his head, not quite knowing how to take the question. 

“Why am I sorry?” he asked, but Ram shook his head, narrowing his eyes at him a little. 

King felt himself blush. The small bathroom was suddenly much, much too warm. 

When Ram pushed one hand into his hair, slicking it back further, King was suddenly reminded of their shower together and it only made things worse. 

“Ram, could we … maybe …”

He watched Ram fight with himself. Another house that wasn’t his. Another group of people waiting for them outside, knowing that they were in the bathroom together and possibly coming to look for them any minute now. 

“What do you want to do,” he asked, breathlessly, knowing that he wasn’t playing fair but unable to resist the temptation of paying Ram back for getting him all hot and bothered at the gym. 

He had not expected Ram to clasp the front of his t-shirt with both hands and to pull him close, his eyes flicking from his lips to his eyes and back again. Then Ram bit his lower lip and met King’s eyes again, and suddenly King knew that he wasn’t the one in control after all. 

Fucking hell. 

“What I meant to say is …” he was breathless and he knew that Ram knew that he was only a single word away from dropping his trousers, “that we should maybe go and join the others?”

Ram blinked, very slowly, but King could see his pulse racing in his neck. 

“Let go,” he told him and plucked his hands from his shirt. Ram let him. 

He checked himself over in the mirror, decided that he could always say he was still panicked about the dogs, and then pushed his way past Ram and out of the bathroom. 

Outside, he inhaled deeply, looked down on himself and deciding that, with his relatively wide trousers and his long t-shirt, he’d be fine, and went to look for Duen. 

Duen and Bohn were on the couch, a couple of feet apart from each other. He was just about to ask why when Duen’s little sister came bouncing into the room, holding a bowl of popcorn. “Mommy, daddy, we can start the film now.” She excitedly plopped down between the two smiling men and King realised that it couldn’t be the first time they had played at being a family. 

When King caught Bohn’s eye, Bohn seemed to dare him to say something wrong, so he just shrugged and sat down next to him. “Can I have some popcorn, too?” he asked and Daoheni gave him a long, measured look before she grinned and nodded. She pushed the bowl towards him. “Are you Ram’s faen?” she asked and King had to grin at Duen’s scandalised expression. 

King nodded. “Yes.”

“Where is he?”

“The dogs gave him lots of kisses, so he has to wash his face.”

“Are you a dog, too?” she asked, her eyes wide. Bohn tried very hard not to laugh while Duen had resigned himself to his fate of the embarrassed older brother. 

“I didn’t give him as many kisses as the dogs,” he lied, just when Ram came into the living room. 

Ram silently sat down next to Duen and then pulled out his phone, apparently reading messages. His face was neutral and his blush had receded almost entirely, though King could still tell that, not so long ago, Ram had been ready to break his own rules. 

“We are going to watch a film, P’Ram,” Daoheni announced. “Do you want some popcorn?”

Ram looked at her for a long moment before he shook his head. “Thank you,” he said quietly. 

“Why don’t you sit next to your fean?” she asked when he looked down on his phone again. King wondered if Ram was as uncomfortable around her as he was around his nephews, especially since she asked much more direct questions than they had. 

“There isn’t enough room,” Ram finally said.

King looked down on the space next to him. If he sat close, he would definitely fit. So he looked up and tried to imitate Ram’s puppy-dog eyes. Ram glared at him before he turned to his phone again. 

“Alright,” Bohn finally broke the awkward silence. “Let’s start?” He pressed a few buttons on the remote control, but just as the film started, Ram looked up again and turned towards Duen.

“I think I want to take them home,” he said quietly. 

“The dogs?” Duen asked and Bohn paused the film again. Daoheni was annoyed at first, but when she looked at her brother, she seemed to understand that the conversation was serious. She slipped her hand into Duen’s. 

Ram nodded. “I’ll have to talk to them eventually. I can’t hide forever.”

King watched him, his heart in his throat. He could tell that Ram was conflicted, but he wouldn’t dare discourage him. 

“Today?”

“Tomorrow, maybe. Just …”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Duen asked, and while King felt a spark of jealousy prick at his heart, he forced himself to remember that Duen was, after all, one of Ram’s closest friends. 

Ram pressed his lips together and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Are you going to introduce P’King to your parents?” Duen asked, his lips quirking. 

Ram glanced at King, who couldn’t help but smile, even though he wasn’t sure about this at all, and then nodded. 

“I can ask if mum can borrow the van from my uncle,” Duen offered, and King was very close to offering his sister's services, but then he realised that being introduced as the boyfriend might be enough of a shock. Having his sister fawning all over Ram wouldn’t be helpful in any case. 

“Thank you,” Ram said again. Then he stood up and moved around the coffee table to sit next to King, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and snuggling close. King realised that Ram needed to be held, so he hugged him tightly, and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. He was glad that neither Bohn nor Duen said anything, and when Bohn started the film again, he felt Ram relax in his arms. 

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly and Ram nodded, resting his head against his shoulder. 

He couldn’t really pay attention to the movie, being so close to Ram, but when he felt him relax and grow heavier, he realised that Ram had fallen asleep in his arms. He carefully moved his arm down from his shoulders and pulled him against his chest, cradling him while his fingers played with his hair. 

King woke up when Bohn laughed out loud at something and Daoheni complained loudly about the stupidity of a character. He hadn’t realised he had drifted off, too, but he clearly had missed most of the film. It was dark outside and there was a blanket draped over them. When he looked at Duen, he was met with a wide, happy smile. 

King tried to focus on the rest of the film but found that he had absolutely no idea what was happening. When the credits rolled, Daoheni announced that she would go and help her mother prepare dinner. “You are staying for dinner, P’King and P’Ram, yes?” she asked, not even waiting for an answer. 

Ram stirred in his arms and King tightened his embrace a little. When he yawned and then moved to sit up, King wished they were alone. All he wanted was to pull him back into his arms. Ram frowned at the blanket that slipped from their legs as he sat up and then blinked tiredly at King. “Sorry,” he apologised and rubbed his eyes. “I don’t know why I am so tired today.”

Bohn shot him a judgemental look and Ram chuckled quietly. “Ah, you’re right. I do know,” he grinned and then stretched, his joints crackling. King elbowed him and Ram checked whether Daoheni had really gone before he kissed him. With tongue.

King felt his ears burn when Ram pulled back. 

“Get a room, honestly,” Bohn complained. 

“You’re just jealous,” King grinned and he could see Duen shrink back. 

“Don’t you dare!” he held out his hands to Bohn, who had, of course, interpreted King’s words as a challenge. He had almost crawled on top of Duen when King grinned into the direction of the kitchen. “Duen, your mum is watching,” he lied, and watched as Bohn was pushed off the couch with more force than he had expected from Duen. 

He was blushing fiercely while Bohn scowled, first at Duen, and, seeing that nobody was watching them, at King. King chuckled and ruffled his hair, knowing it annoyed him like few other things. “Sorry, I couldn’t resist,” he grinned. 

“You are lucky that you are my friend and not my junior,” Bohn said, clearly torn between being amused and annoyed. “But I will get you back for this!”

“I’ll go and help in the kitchen,” Ram announced and walked away, leaving King at Bohn’s mercy. “Umm,” he took a step back. “Ram, wait up. I’ll help, too!” and he chased after him, grinning widely. 

*****

Screenshot from the above-mentioned video


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King's POV
> 
> I'm sorry (not actually) that I've incorporated so much BohnDuen in this, but why not fix two things with a single fic haha.

They ate in the dining room, and the conversation mostly revolved around the coming week before classes would start again. One week, King thought, that he would have Ram for himself. One week of waking up next to him without having to get up early. 

But then he remembered that Ram wanted to take his dogs home, and that might mean that he would return to his own dorm room because he would not be afraid of his family finding him anymore, and King's heart sank. He tried to distract himself with food, but found that he had lost his appetite. He tried to distract himself with conversation, but realised he had nothing to say. 

When Ram touched his elbow, tears pricked at his eyes before he had even looked at him. 

“What’s wrong?” Ram asked, very quietly, but King just shook his head. He couldn’t talk about it right now, not with everyone else at the table. He drank some water and then excused himself, glad that everyone had already finished eating and it wasn't as rude to leave as it might have been otherwise. 

He did not dare to look at Ram when he walked out of the room and then the front door, sitting down on a window sill, looking up at the dark, overcast sky. He had been so preoccupied about the fact that they were now a couple that he hadn’t allowed himself to consider that Ram might want or need his own space again. But it would make sense. His parents paid for his dorm room, and all of his things were there. He had lived out of his backpack and King’s closet for the last two weeks and he hadn’t had his own four walls to return to. And it wouldn’t mean that they weren’t going to see each other anymore, it would just be less frequent than he wanted. 

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, wiping away a tear that had spilled over despite his attempts at keeping them at bay. 

When he heard footsteps, he was almost certain that Ram had come looking for him, but when he opened his eyes, Bohn looked down on him, his eyebrows knitted with worry. “What’s wrong?”

King shook his head and then inhaled deeply, sitting up a little straighter. “Nothing, really,” he said, feeling silly for getting so emotional about something that hadn’t happened yet. 

Bohn nudged his shoe with his own. “Tell me.”

“I’m just scared,” he said, clearing his throat when a new wave of sadness made it hard for him to speak. “That things will change.”

“Things?”

“I don’t want him to leave,” he said, and Bohn grew blurry when new tears welled up. He wiped them away, annoyed with himself. 

“Why do you think he would leave?”

“Because Ram staying at my place is a temporary arrangement. If he talks to his family, he can stop hiding, and then he’ll move back to the dorms and … I don’t want him to.”

“Did you tell him that?”

“No.”

Bohn kicked his shoe this time. “Then why are you out here, crying, instead of just telling him you want him to move in permanently.”

“What if he doesn’t want to?”

Bohn stopped moving entirely for a long moment, his face reflecting some of King’s own sadness. He realised he had touched on something that Bohn hadn’t expected but which did affect him. 

“Wait, did you ask Duen to move in with you?” King used his t-shirt to dry the remaining tears and moved a little so Bohn could sit down next to him. “And he said no?” he guessed, quietly, nudging Bohn’s arm. 

Bohn inhaled deeply and looked up at the sky. “He said he would move in with me in a year.”

“What?”

“He’s not wrong, you know? He wants to see how things go, and he wants to make sure I don’t keep him from studying, and if we’re still together in a year, he’ll move in.”

“I’m sorry.”

Bohn smiled sadly. “It just means that he knows me well.”

“So, not sorry?”

“Nah, I’m a poor bastard,” Bohn chuckled drily. “The thing is, I don’t want him to think about it. I don’t want his rational opinion. I want him to want it. I want him to want me and I want him to miss me when we are not together.”

“But he does.”

Bohn turned to him. “I thought so, too. But then I saw Ram and you, and you two have everything I want.”

King felt himself blush. 

“And I know it just makes me sound like an asshole, but I would give a lot to have Duen look at me like Ram looks at you.”

King remembered the phone call between Duen and Ram earlier, when Ram had said something about Bohn looking at Duen in a certain way. “I think he just needs to get used to being in a relationship.”

“You weren’t, before,” Bohn pointed out, and King couldn’t contradict him, really. 

“But I’ve wanted him for a long time,” he finally admitted. “And we’re so different, Duen and I.”

“I know. It’s stupid, trying to compare him to anyone else. I love him exactly because of how innocent he is.”

“So, you haven’t … you know?”

Bohn shook his head. “I don’t think we will for a while. We only just kissed at the camp.”

King nodded. “You know, Bohn. When you started all of this, with forcing him to bring you flowers and all, I thought you were just bullying another junior into doing something for you. And I think, for a while, he thought the same. But he brought your flowers for a whole month. Every day. And I’m sure it’s not because he was afraid of what you might do to him. I mean, you’re not even in the same faculty. So, he did it, despite of how you treated him, not because of it.”

“Do you think?” Bohn looked at him with wide eyes.

King had to chuckle. “You really think he went through all of that because you made him do it?”

“Well …”

“You said you told him how you feel every day?”

“Hmm, maybe not every day. But I did tell him.”

“Good. I should have told Ram a long time ago and I was too scared. I was scared he would walk away. I was scared he would find it sad or ridiculous or, well, cute at best. But I was scared that if I told him, I would never have the chance to be with him. And you told Duen, and he didn’t walk away and he didn’t mock you and he didn’t try to push you away. He just needs time to catch up to where you are.”

Bohn exhaled loudly and then dropped his head on King’s shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Thank you for coming out here to talk to me.”

They were silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. “I could threaten him, if you want,” Bohn suggested and King had to laugh. “Please don’t. I saw what he can do at the gym. He was going easy on you during your match.”

“Do you want me to drive you home?”

King nodded. “I’m sorry for earlier. I didn’t mean to make Duen uncomfortable.”

“Duen? _I’ll_ have a bruise on my chest for a week because of how hard he pushed me!” Bohn complained, but then he got up and pulled King to his feet. “Fine, I forgive you.”

King smiled and followed him back inside. The dining room table was already cleared and Daoheni was in her pjs, kissing Duen, Ram and her mother good night. “Oi,” Bohn complained, “do I not get a kiss?”

Duen shot him a dark look, but Bohn smiled sweetly and went down on one knee, presenting his cheek to her. “Good night, daddy,” she said happily and King could see Duen’s expression melt. There was absolutely no question that he was besotted with Bohn. 

When he felt himself pulled against a strong chest, he instinctively closed his eyes and leaned back. Ram kissed his neck and then simply held him. King was glad that he did not ask him about his disappearance, because while talking to Bohn had helped him to snap out of his melancholy, he knew that the moment he thought about Ram leaving him would bring back the pain immediately. So he concentrated on the hands that clasped him tightly and the warmth against his back. 

Duen’s mum took Daoheni upstairs to put her to bed, and Bohn announced that he would take King and Ram home. To everyone’s surprise, Duen seemed upset by the notion that Bohn wouldn’t stay longer.

“They have no ride,” he explained and Duen pouted for a moment. “I’ll come with you,” he then decided and Bohn frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll tell mum that I’m spending the night at your place,” he shrugged and walked away. King couldn’t help but grin when Bohn turned around to them, his eyes wide. When Ram kissed his neck again, King realised that he had probably talked to Duen while he had been outside with Bohn. He wondered what he had said. 

They piled into the car, and King was slightly disappointed when Duen got in the back with Ram, instead of letting him cuddle with him on the backseat. Bohn seemed equally disappointed. “See what I mean?” he asked quietly, glaring at his boyfriend through the rear-view mirror. King wanted to point out that Duen would spend the night with him, but then he realised that he had no idea of how their sleeping arrangement worked, so he stayed quiet. 

The traffic was lighter than it had been during the day, and they reached King’s place more quickly than he had anticipated. He got out of the car, but realised that Ram had started talking to Duen the moment he had closed the door behind him, and he felt another annoying spark of jealousy. He really needed to get a grip on that particular habit. Until two weeks ago, Ram hadn’t said more than a couple of words a week to him, and now he was jealous when he was talking to one of his best friends, to whom he had always talked a lot. 

He rolled his shoulders and walked a few paces away from the car, not wanting to seem nosy. When Ram finally got out and Duen switched to the front of the car, he breathed a sigh of relief nevertheless. 

He turned around and walked into the building, waiting for Ram to catch up with him in the staircase. “Why are you annoyed?” Ram asked him when they entered his floor. 

King waited until they had reached his front door. When he pushed in the key, he finally spoke. “I’m just being stupid.”

“Hmm?” Ram turned the key for him and pushed the door open. 

“I got jealous of Duen because you talked to him.”

“Why?”

King closed the door behind him and toed off his shoes. “That is a very good question. I really don’t know. I guess a part of me wants you to save all of your words for me.”

Ram, who had taken off his shoes and walked towards the living room, stopped and turned around. King felt himself blush. “I know it’s stupid. I’m sorry.”

It took Ram only two seconds to cover the distance between them and kiss him, hard enough to bruise. When he pulled away, King was speechless and a little sore and Ram looked like he had surprised himself. “I’m sorry,” he apologised and wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. 

“Why?” It was King’s turn to be surprised. 

“Because I did not talk to you more.”

“No!” King shook his head. “You had your reasons. Don’t apologise.”

“Okay,” Ram nodded and then winced. “So, I’m sorry for giving you stubble burn instead?”

King carefully touched his lips. He could live with a bit of soreness if it meant he got to kiss him some more. He finally grinned and pulled off his t-shirt. “Just use more tongue, next time?”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram’s POV

He wanted it to have been the only problem, but he knew King had been upset long before he had talked to Duen in the car. King had seemed a little less upset when he had returned with Bohn, and Ram was glad that he had offered to go and talk to him, because he wasn’t sure he could have managed to calm him when he hadn't even been able to look at him. 

And he wanted King to undress, right here in the hall, and he wanted to finally touch him in the way he had wanted to since entering King’s bedroom earlier that day, but he knew that he couldn’t; not before they had talked. 

“P’King,” he said quietly, stepping closer again and stilling his hands that were just about to unbutton his trousers. 

King looked at him, his eyes wide, and his lips red from their kiss. God, he looked beautiful like this. 

“Please, tell me,” he begged, taking both of his hands in his, squeezing gently. 

King swallowed, and then his lips started quivering, and Ram’s heart broke, because he had no idea why. 

“Please! What can I do?” he asked, reaching up to touch his face. King closed his eyes and tears spilled over. “Please,” he repeated, finding it hard to speak now. 

“Don’t leave me,” King finally said, sounding so scared that Ram hugged him instinctively. 

“Why would I leave you?” he asked, unable to understand where King was coming from. 

King pressed his face against his neck, hiding from the world. He inhaled shakily several times before he pulled back again. “If you take the dogs home and you talk to your mum, then you can go back to your dorm and …”

Oh. 

_Oh._

“Wait,” Ram shook his head and pulled away, taking King’s face between his hands. “Do you want me to stay? I mean, here?”

King nodded and Ram remembered a fragment of the conversation King had had with his sister when she had dropped off her sons. King had told her that Ram had moved in, and he had sounded very happy. And he remembered thinking how much he would like to stay when he had gone out to buy breakfast when King had been bedridden. 

“But …” Ram watched King wince and shook his head. “No. I mean. I will. Of course I will! I just thought that you … you know. It’s your place and I’ve just kind of invaded it and …”

“Please stop talking,” King begged and Ram had to smile, because it was the last thing he had expected King to ask of him. He pressed his lips together. 

“Please stay,” King said, his voice much stronger now. “Please stay here with me? I told you you could stay for as long as you needed to, and when I realised that you might not need to any longer, I just …”

Ram waited as King fought to find the right words. 

“I want you to move in. Please move in with me. I’ll make room for your things and I’ll put some of the plants away so you have some space for yourself. I just really, really want you to stay.”

“You just want someone to make you breakfast every morning,” Ram said with a small smile, surprised at how calm he sounded, considering that his heart was beating so heavily in his chest that he was sure King could see it through his shirt. 

King laughed, fresh tears spilling over, and Ram felt the knot in his stomach dissolve. 

“P’King,” he started, but then he couldn’t talk anymore because King’s lips were on his and he felt himself pushed down the hall until his calves hit the sofa, and he tried to remain standing, but the momentum pushed him over. He grunted as he fell down and then he grunted again when King climbed on top of him, kissing him again. 

He wrapped his arms around him and pulled him down, knowing that King had probably realised that he had worried in vain, but needing to stop him before things became so intense that he forgot to actually say the words. King struggled for a moment but eventually resigned himself to being held. He kissed Ram’s shoulder and then turned to look at him. 

“Thank you,” Ram started, inhaling deeply. “Thank you for taking me in when I had no place to stay and for letting me stay even when you weren’t here. I missed you so much, being here by myself, but it does feel like home, more than my dorm room ever did. I’d love to stay here, I really would. But only if you’re here, too.”

King pulled back a little and Ram loosened his arms around his back to give him room. He looked down on him and nodded, his eyes full of tears again. “Okay,” he finally nodded. 

“Just okay?” Ram asked, pretending to be disappointed when all he wanted was to hug King and never, ever let go of him again. 

King grimaced and then sniffed when his tears spilled over and splashed onto Ram’s shirt. “I’m sorry for crying on it again,” he said and wiped his face. 

Ram huffed. “Well, it served its purpose, so you can cry on it all you want now.”

“Just cry?” King asked, licking his lips, and suddenly Ram felt like the all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. Or maybe he was having trouble breathing because of King’s weight on his body. 

“Anything you want,” Ram said, dropping his hands, just like King had earlier, signalling him that he was his to do with as he pleased. 

“Anything,” King whispered, awe in his voice. Then he began to unbutton Ram’s shirt, starting from the top, gently touching the newly exposed skin, before moving on to the next button. Ram tried to calm his breathing but gave up when King leaned down to kiss his chest as he spread open his shirt. 

And he realised that he wasn’t the only one. King ran his hands across his chest and when he squeezed, driving the air out of Ram’s lungs, he gasped, too. “Could I …?” King asked, moving down a little.

“Hmm?” 

When King’s fingers opened his trousers, he realised that this wouldn’t be the great lovemaking session he had fantasised about all day. Even the feeling of the zipper being undone made him grunt. Nevertheless, he lifted his arse so King could pull his trousers down, taking his underwear with him as he moved down. 

He was grateful for the brief moment in which King plucked his clothes from his feet, also taking off his socks, allowing him to calm down just a little, but as soon as he turned back again, he found that he couldn’t exhale silently anymore. And when King looked at him with wide eyes, his eyebrows quirking just a little in amusement, he had to bite his lip hard to keep himself from making an even more embarrassing sound. 

“I haven’t even touched you,” King stated, reaching up to pull Ram’s lip out from between his teeth. “Don’t hurt yourself,” he added, gently, patiently, as if he wasn’t burning up with the need to be touched. 

Ram swallowed hard, feeling himself twitch when King redirected his attention down his body. He smiled when he ran one hand down his chest, once again brushing across the tattoos. “You are so incredibly sexy,” he said, awe in his voice, and Ram moaned again. It seemed like he had lost all control of his vocal cords, so the best he could hope for was that King wouldn’t try to see to what an extent that was true. The thought only made him harder. 

“Ram,” King leaned down and kissed his stomach, and then he moved down to kiss the love bite he had marked him with this morning. “Ram,” he whispered when he pushed his legs apart just a little, kissing the inside of his thigh. 

For a short, frustrating moment, Ram thought that he should have showered before letting King do what he was doing just then, but he didn’t seem to care at all, so he tried not to think about it. 

“Ram,” King smiled up at him when he wrapped his hand around him, and, unable to stop himself, Ram came.

King yelped as his chin was streaked with his come, and he pulled away before the second pulse could hit him, nevertheless keeping his hand wrapped around him. 

Ram was both mortified and so relieved that he wasn’t sure what to do with himself. His hips jerked when King stroked up his length, and he was still gasping for air, his chest heaving. When King tightened his grasp around him, he pushed his hand away with a whimper, curling up on his side, simply breathing for a while. 

When he finally felt like he had regained control over his body, he stretched out again. 

King looked down on him, wiping his face, grinning like he had just won the lottery. “Ai’Ning,” he said, laughter in his voice. “Couldn’t you wait for a minute or two? I hadn’t even started yet.”

Ram closed his eyes and hid his face behind his hands. “I’m sorry,” he said, his words muffled by his hands. 

“Okay,” King sat cross legged next to Ram, looking down on him. “So, we can establish that you come very quickly on this couch.”

“It’s not the couch, it’s you!” Ram complained, glaring at him from between his fingers. 

King grinned. “I guess I shouldn’t make you wait so long again.”

Ram shrugged. Then he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “Give me five minutes?” he finally asked, and King chuckled and bent down to kiss him. 

“And I’m still dressed, again,” he said, sounding smug.

“You still had your shirt on this morning,” Ram pointed out. “So, we’re slowly getting there.”

King giggled and then he poked Ram’s tummy. “Do you want to take a shower?”

“Will you let me touch you?”

“I thought you wanted it to be my first time, again?”

“Yes,” Ram nodded. “I do.”

“And the shower is an appropriate place?”

“Do you want rose petals on bed sheets and chocolate strawberries?” Ram smirked. 

“Nah. Not for the first time,” King shook his head, a look of disdain on his face which melted into a blinding smile a moment later. “I want that when you propose to me.” Then the smile suddenly froze and a whole rainbow of emotions crossed his features before he finally settled on a carefully blank expression. 

Ram had watched him, breathless and with an ever greater need to kiss him. He didn’t know what to say, because if he simply agreed, as he wanted to, King would probably panic and try to backpaddle. But if he cautiously reminded him that they had only agreed to be boyfriends last night and to move in together permanently ten minutes ago, … well, they were making up lost time, weren’t they?

“Noted,” he simply said, reaching out to touch King’s face. 

King leaned into the touch, closing his eyes for a moment. “I didn’t mean to imply that …”

“I know,” Ram smiled and finally sat up, kissing him. “Still, good to know.” 

King swallowed hard and then nudged him. “Come on, you’re filthy.”

Ram snorted and climbed off the sofa, making sure he hadn’t accidentally stained it. When he made his way towards the bathroom, King smacked his arse hard enough to make him yelp. 

“What was that for?”

“For making _me_ wait!”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, umm, this turned out to be a longer scene than intended, so I split it into two chapters ...
> 
> King's POV

He had never taken drugs in his life, and with the exception of reacting rather strongly to the painkillers he had gotten for his head wound, he had no real experience of feeling high. But just then he was almost certain that whatever was going on in his brain must have been very similar to being on drugs. Good drugs. Drugs that made you feel like you were floating and like the butterflies in your stomach just needed a reason to take off and take you away with them. 

He stopped in the bathroom door, watching Ram’s back as he walked to the shower and then stepped into the cabin. God, he was perfect.

“P’King, are you coming?” Ram asked, his hand on the faucet. 

King inhaled deeply and closed the door behind him, hoping that his legs would carry him all the way. When he realised that Ram would wait until he had undressed, he quickly took off the rest of his clothes. He had been so desperate, earlier, when Ram had stopped him to address his behaviour. And now that he had made him come with barely a touch – again – he found some of the desperation gone, leaving more room for the serotonin his brain was currently supplying him with. 

Ram had called him _love_ today. Ram had almost allowed him to get him off in his bedroom while King's entire family was outside, his arms tucked together behind his back, implying that he trusted King completely. Ram had grabbed his t-shirt and pulled him close and the memory sufficed to make him weak in the knees. Ram had curled up against him and taken a nap in plain sight of everyone. Ram had kissed him until their lips were sore. And Ram had promised to move in with him, properly. And Ram had not been shocked when he had mentioned a proposal, something he hadn’t even thought about before that moment. But the mental image that Ram had provided was so stereotypical and silly and perfect that he had immediately imagined it, and then realised how it must have sounded. And yet … he hadn’t been shocked. And now Ram was naked in his shower, his stomach sticky with his come. 

He remembered how he had longed for him, on the day before they had left for camp and Ram had showered twice, and each time he had been burning up with want for him. And now he just needed to take a few steps and he could have everything. 

“Hey,” Ram said, looking a little worried. “Everything okay?”

King nodded and finally managed to convince his feet to move. “I just needed a moment,” he said and pulled Ram against him. He shuddered at the sensation of feeling his naked body against his own and Ram responded with a low moan. 

Suddenly, King remembered how matter-of-factly Ram had grabbed the shower gel last night to ease their movement on each other. He huffed and pulled away. When his eyes met Ram’s, he needed a second before he could even think of speaking. “Last week, when I was gone …” he started, putting his hands on Ram’s narrow hips and looking down, still not quite able to process that he was allowed to see him like this, and to touch him. “You said you missed me,” he licked his lips, not quite knowing how to formulate his question. 

Ram nodded. “I did. A lot.”

“In here?” King asked and bit his lip, wincing, because of how raw they felt, but he knew what kind of effect it would have on Ram. 

Ram stared at him for a good five seconds before he blushed vividly. Then he nodded, looking ridiculously innocent and bashful. “A lot,” he confirmed and lowered his eyes. 

King stared at him in delight. “In the bedroom?”

Ram shook his head. “I couldn’t. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. It didn’t feel right.”

“When you went to buy breakfast with the dogs, and I took a shower …” he started, and Ram’s eyes went wide. He looked up again.

“Before you left, you came into the bedroom to get changed and you only wore a towel and …” King exhaled loudly. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you. You were so beautiful. You are so beautiful.” He closed the gap between them once again, but they did not kiss. Ram had clearly noticed that it would hurt King if he tried. 

“Okay, enough of this,” King finally decided and switched on the water. They both braced for the onslaught of cold water this time, and gasped, but held on tightly to each other, so it wasn’t all that bad. When it warmed, King felt Ram relax against his body – every bit of him, except one part. He grinned when he pulled away. “I see,” he chuckled and reached out for him, but Ram swatted his hand away.

“Not now,” he murmured, but King could tell that he wasn’t very convinced either. He wondered if he would resist him if he just tried again, but just then Ram grabbed him by his waist and turned them around so he could push him against the cold tiles on the far side of the shower cabin. “Not now,” he said again, sounding much more serious, and King nodded, eyes wide, his heart in his throat. He looked down between their bodies and noticed that they were standing close enough for him to just move his hips forward just a little, to nudge Ram’s with his own erection.

He giggled at Ram’s faltering frown. 

“Please,” he said, his voice unbelievably gentle. “Please, I can’t concentrate on you if you keep touching me.

King laughed and tried to kiss Ram, but as he was still pressed against the wall, he didn’t quite manage to reach him. He stuck out his tongue, but even that didn’t quite bridge the distance as Ram moved just out of reach. 

“Stay,” Ram ordered, quietly but firmly, and King finally stopped struggling. 

“Fine.”

Ram nodded and then plucked the showerhead from its clasp, quickly rinsing his stomach before directing the water at King’s body. He wet him thoroughly and then he pulled him forward a bit and made him turn around so he could shower his back. King tipped his head back when he raised the stream up over his shoulders, allowing him to wet his hair. 

When Ram turned off the water, he wanted to turn around again, but Ram tapped his hip, indicating that he should stay as he was. 

“Enjoying the view?” King asked cockily and Ram huffed and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. 

“Immensely. Shampoo?”

King sighed and handed him the shampoo. When Ram began rubbing it into his hair King sighed, enjoying the shivers the touch sent down his spine. He reached out to press his hands against the tiles in front of him before tipping his head back again so Ram could reach him more easily. And Ram took his time, drawing low moans from him as he massaged his scalp and the nape of his neck and the sensitive spots just behind his ears. He did notice that Ram left his scar virtually untouched, moving his fingers deftly around the area. 

King was almost disappointed when Ram turned on the water to rinse him off, but he knew that Ram wouldn’t just want to wash his hair. He closed his eyes and waited until the water was turned off again before he wiped his face. Ram kissed his shoulder again and King shivered. 

“Are you cold?” Ram asked, his hands settling on his back and moving down as if to see whether King had gotten cold, despite of how hot the water had been. He shivered again, harder this time. 

“Wash me,” King said, fearing that if his hands would move any lower, he wouldn’t quite know what to do with himself. Ram silently held out his hand and King placed the shower gel into it, realising only now that the bottle was significantly emptier than it had been before they had left for camp. Ten days’ worth of Ram in his shower, he thought with a grin. Maybe more, if he had been to the gym a lot. 

The sound of the bottle cap being flipped open was strangely loud in the small cabin, and King closed his eyes and dropped his head forward, waiting for Ram’s touch. When it came, he gasped, surprised by how gentle it was. He started with his shoulders, massaging them a little, and King made a plan to ask him to do it properly, under different circumstances, because he realised that, with his strength and attentiveness, he would be amazing at it. When he hit a tense spot, King grunted and Ram sighed loudly. He wanted to turn around and see Ram's face, needing to know what he looked like right then, and how he looked at him, but he knew that it would cause Ram to stop, and he really did not want that.

Ram ran his hands down his arms, squeezing, and again, King couldn’t hold back a moan. He had never had a massage like that, hell, he had never been touched like that by anyone before. Ram pressed himself against his back in order to reach all the way down to his hands and, for a moment, he intertwined their fingers against the tiles, kissing the nape of his neck that was still soap free. 

He couldn’t be entirely sure, but he was almost certain that Ram whispered an “I love you” against his skin before he pulled back again. Whether it had been real or imagined, it set his body and mind alight. When Ram moved his hips forward, King instinctively pushed back and Ram’s fingers tightened against his own. He grinned and did it again, loving that he could draw such delicate and yet immensely arousing sounds from Ram. 

To his great disappointment, Ram pulled away from him again, sliding his hands back along his arms and then pouring more shower gel into his hand. When he soaped up his back, King took one step closer to the wall and crossed his arms in front of his face, resting his forehead against his arms. Whatever Ram was planning, he was ready to let him touch him in any way he wanted. 

Ram’s hands moved down his back, but always up again, just before reaching his arse, and King was almost sure that if he kept doing that, he would have to take matters into his own hands. 

“Patience,” Ram said after King sighed in annoyance at yet another upward stroke. He was sure he could hear him smile. 

“Are you trying to do the same thing I did to you?” he asked, sounding more petulant than he had meant to. Ram chuckled. “No. Don’t you dare come before I touched you properly.”

“Well, then do it!” King slid down the wall a little, pushing his arse into Ram’s direction. Ram laughed out loud in response. “I see.”

“Do it!” King demanded and Ram clasped his hips with both hands and pushed him forward a little, one hand stoking the small of his back. 

“What do you want me to do?” he asked, sounding less self-assured than he had a moment ago. 

“Whatever you want.”

Ram huffed. “No. You have to tell me. I want it to be good for you.”

“Just … touch me, Ram. Touch me!”

He could positively hear the hesitation behind him, but then Ram finally moved again, his hands squeezing his arse, making King’s knees buckle in reaction. When he heard the cap of the shower gel flip open once more, he squeezed his eyes closed. When Ram began to move his hands, applying just enough pressure to keep his touch from tickling him, he moaned shamelessly. Ram’s hands squeezed again before he moved lower, one hand slipping between his buttocks, his thumb stroking upwards, and King arched his back a little more and moved his feet further apart to give him better access.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the cliffhanger (Kind of. I'm not actually sorry)!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King's POV
> 
> (Apologies for yesterday's sudden cut-off, here's the rest)

Ram had promised him a second first time, and he was keeping his word. Somehow, knowing Ram a little better now and trusting him even more than he had last night, he felt less insecure and nervous about being touched by him. He trusted him to be aware of any signals of discomfort his body would send him and it was a heady feeling to know that he could. 

When Ram reached down further to cup his testicles and then move up to wrap his fingers around his erection, King reflected on whether the bed wouldn’t have been a better idea after all, but he could not deny the absolute perfection of Ram’s shower gel slick fingers against his skin. He wondered how quickly they could get lube delivered and how awkward it would be to pick up the package from the doorman. And he wondered whether Ram had any preferences. And then he couldn’t formulate another thought because Ram slipped one arm around him, taking hold of him while his other hand settled down against his perineum, applying just enough pressure to distract him a little from the burning pleasure of being held by Ram. 

“Is this okay?” Ram breathed against his back and King nodded, not trusting himself to speak. 

When Ram started to move his hand, he looked down on himself, seeing his nimble fingers on him, stroking expertly, his thumb adding a small but effective extra twirl when he reached his head, before moving down again and doing it all over again. King would have doubled over had he not already propped himself up against the wall. His mouth fell open and he moaned shamelessly when Ram sped up a little, biting his shoulder, not very hard, but hard enough to indicate that he might leave a mark. 

At the same time, his left hand moved back just a little, probing and pressing upwards, and King tried his hardest to concentrate, but found that whatever he tried to focus on, he was immediately distracted by something else. And it all boiled down to the ever-growing white heat in his groin that threatened to overwhelm him and spill over before he had had time to savour it all. Every breath was a moan now and he knew he would probably feel embarrassed about that later, but for now, he had no control over his vocal cords. 

“Ram,” he finally managed, taking hold of his wrist and stilling him for a moment. 

“Hmm, what is it?” Ram asked, sounding hoarse. 

“What about you?”

“Huh?” His voice sounded completely different than it had a second ago. 

“Are you close?” King demanded, reaching around his body blindly, trying to take hold of Ram’s erection. When he succeeded, Ram hissed. “Hmm. You are. Good.”

“P’King,” Ram pressed his face against his back. “You’re not supposed to think about me right now!”

“How can I not!” King complained and began tugging, and, feeling that he couldn’t move smoothly enough, picked up some lather from Ram’s hand on his own cock to make it easier. But moving like this wasn’t comfortable, not with Ram’s hand still between his buttocks and his other hand around his body. So he pulled Ram’s hand away and then pulled him closer by his waist until his erection was lined up between his buttocks. He knew it wasn’t anywhere near where Ram would probably have liked to have taken this, but considering how slick his skin now was, it would probably be good enough. 

He pushed back against Ram encouragingly and Ram began to move, pressing himself flush against King. And now that he had two free hands, he took hold of him with both of them and renewed his efforts. 

King lasted another minute before he stopped fighting against the burning heat in his belly. He pressed his lips against his forearm, trying to stifle the sounds that kept escaping him unbidden. Ram’s hands had stopped moving when he came, but he still held him, his breath hot and heavy against his back. 

He closed his eyes again, trying to hold on to this moment of utter bliss, but when Ram let go of him and took hold of his hips, pressing against him again, he realised that Ram hadn’t come yet. He pushed back and moaned in surprise, because he only now realised how good it felt to have Ram slide against him like that. He hadn’t really been able to focus on the sensation before, but now that he could, he realised that he loved it. 

He tried to turn around and see, but he couldn’t quite twist his body far enough to succeed, so he settled on watching Ram’s face instead. His chest and cheeks were flushed and his lips slightly parted, still red and swollen from too much kissing, his breath escaping him in short little gasps. When his eyes met King’s, his eyebrows drew together into a frown of deep concentration and effort. He looked a little like he had when he had gotten him the orange juice bottle, and how he had when he had shown up at his door after the gym, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. 

King moaned again and Ram echoed the sound. Suddenly, he fell forward, wrapping his arms tightly around King’s chest, pressing himself hard against him. He could feel his hips jerk against him, each one punctuated by a stifled grunt. King was glad he had kept one arm pressed against the wall, because they probably would have fallen if he hadn’t held them both up just then. 

When Ram loosened his arms around his chest, King straightened and twisted his back far enough to see Ram’s come glistening on the small of his back, framed by tufts of soap. He chuckled and then turned around to look at Ram, leaning against the tiles again. 

“That was …” he started, not quite able to find the words to describe what he was feeling. 

“Incredible,” Ram suggested, his lips quirking into a half smile, and King couldn’t help but kiss him again. He was sure he would regret it tomorrow, but for now the kiss was more important than the burning pain that it caused him. 

King shuddered when Ram’s hands found his arse again and squeezed, and he laughed against his hips. “It really, really was.”

Ram pulled away and nodded. Then he turned on the water again and began rinsing King off, making sure to also clean the tiles, before he handed him the shower gel again. “I’ll buy a new bottle tomorrow,” Ram promised and King grinned. 

“Maybe two, hmm?”

They soaped up again, separately, and then helped each other to wash away the lather. Knowing that they would go straight to bed and not get up again, they also brushed their teeth, giddily bumping their shoulders and elbows together, just for the sake of it. Everytime it happened, King's heart gave a start. 

“Hair?” Ram asked, touching a strand of King’s hair. He knew that he should probably blow dry his hair, because it would look like a mess in the morning, but he could put some product in and deal with it then. 

“Nah, I’ll just use the towel. It’ll dry quickly.”

“Not in your bedroom with the AC,” Ram said and nudged his shoulder with his nose. 

King pulled a face. “Balcony then?”

“What if I wake up in the middle of the night and need to touch you?” Ram asked, looking at him innocently again and King gaped at him, pretending to be scandalised. 

“Then we’ll just have to be quiet,” King finally answered and Ram laughed out loud. Once again, King fell head over heels in love with that sound. He pulled Ram into his arms and kissed his cheek before he rubbed his wet hair against it. Ram giggled and squirmed, trying to free himself, but allowing King to hold on to him anyway. 

“Fine, the balcony then,” Ram finally agreed. 

They dressed in shorts and t-shirts and King got two water bottles from the fridge and picked up the mosquito spray, just in case. When he wanted to get the bedding, Ram already had his arms full with it. 

He switched off the lights in the condo and then pulled open the mosquito net that surrounded his makeshift bed. He remembered that Ram had slept there, on the night when he missed him so much his heart had hurt in his chest. When he looked at Ram, he could tell that Ram remembered as well. 

They climbed inside and King put down the water bottles and sprayed the net a little with the repellent before he joined Ram in the bed. It was much smaller than his own, but large enough so they could comfortably lie next to each other. They both looked at the city lights and the discoloured clouds that hung low in the sky. King hoped it would rain, because then the air would cool down just a bit and the smog would be washed away for a while and they could listen to the rain while sheltered by the balcony. He sighed and turned around to face Ram, curling up against him, and he wrapped his arms around him, pressing a kiss to his head. 

“Thank you,” he whispered and kissed him again. 

King lifted his head to smile at him. “Thank _you_!” he said, before pressing even closer. 

“Good night, P’King.”

“Night, love,” he said, feeling the word roll off his tongue with such ease that he was surprised. He couldn’t be sure, with all the noise around them, but he had the feeling that Ram’s breathing turned a little funny for a while, before he inhaled deeply and pressed his cheek to King’s head. King fell asleep to the sound of car horns and the wind and distant, rumbling thunder.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram’s POV
> 
> Apologies, the next two chapters are a bit angsty. Obviously, this won't last!

His heart was beating heavily and he was almost sure he had been woken up by the sound of his own voice, but when he opened his eyes, he realised that the sound of rain was drowning out most other noises and he wasn't so sure anymore. He blinked several times to make sure he was truly awake before he remembered that they had gone to sleep on King’s balcony and that the rain wasn’t unnaturally loud after all, but simply surrounded them on three sides.

But his heart was still beating painfully in his chest and he felt nauseous. When he realised that he must have had another nightmare, he grew so angry with himself that he almost sobbed. He was supposed to have gotten better after King had put a spell on his tattoo. He was supposed to be safe!

He inhaled shakily, trying to tell himself that everything was alright. That he had his arms full of a wonderful man who loved him and that there was nothing to be afraid of. He blew out his breath slowly, trying to concentrate on the sensation of the air leaving his lungs. Then he inhaled again, much calmer, and finally managed to shake off the remnants of whatever darkness had taken hold of his mind as he had slept. 

King, amazingly, was still soundly asleep, his face pressed against his chest, his arm thrown across his waist. The air was much cooler than it had been when they had gone to bed, and while it was quite humid, he felt like he could breathe more easily with every inhale. 

He moved very slowly and deliberately to pick up one of the water bottles King had brought out when they had gone to bed and unscrewed the lid, drinking deeply, always conscious of not waking up King. He felt a little better afterwards and settled back down, gently playing with a strand of King’s hair, wondering why he felt so anxious. And then he remembered that he would see his family today and his heart contracted painfully. He had been able to ignore the implications of his decision by falling asleep in King's arms on Duen’s couch, and then spending some time focussing on Duen’s relationship to Bohn, trying to give him advice while he was fairly sure King was doing the same for Bohn, and then he hadn’t thought about home at all, because King had asked him to move in and then they had had the most amazing sex and everything had been alright for a while. 

He kissed King’s hair, despite the risk of waking him up. He would be with him, and so would Duen, even though Duen didn’t know why Ram had run away in the first place. And while he still believed that introducing King would be the best solution to his problem, it also meant shifting the guilt of disappearing onto his own shoulders. They would undoubtedly think he had overreacted, and it would always be something that he had chosen to do, instead of his father, who was solely responsible for it all. 

“Hey, Ram,” King murmured tiredly, shifting a little in his arms. “What’s wrong?”

Ram shook his head, but when he wanted to inhale, his breath caught in his throat. 

“Hey,” King moved back and looked up at him, his hand moving to his cheek. “Shhhh, everything is going to be alright,” he said over the noise of the rain. 

Ram closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against King’s. “How can I not tell my mum,” he whispered, his throat burning with unshed tears. 

“I don’t know,” King said, quietly, but Ram could still understand him. “I really don’t know. But she will be so happy to see you again. And your brother will, too. He might even ask you to hit me, you know, just for the sake of it.”

Ram laughed, tears burning behind his eye lids. He had no idea how King did it, but his words drove away the clouds in his mind for a moment. 

“So, I’ll have to be very stern and explain to him that I am very serious about you and also that you already kind of hit me, at the gym, in more ways than one.”

“I really want to kiss you,” Ram said, wiping his face. “But I’m afraid we kind of messed up yesterday.” He touched his lips with his thumb, testing how sore he still felt. King nodded and then moved up a little until their faces were level. Then he licked his lips and pressed a single, gentle kiss to Ram’s. 

“Thank you,” Ram sniffed and the propped his head up on his arm, looking down on King. “I think I’ll feel better after. I hope.”

“Hey, Ram,” King tucked on the front of his t-shirt, looking at his fingers for a moment before he met his eyes again. “Even if you tell her the truth, it’s not on you, alright? Your father did this, and he hurt you, too, and it’s so difficult for me to see you be in so much pain because of it. Your mum doesn’t deserve this, but neither do you. He made you promise not to tell her, but that’s super shitty, too, because it means that if the truth comes out and he tells her that you knew, she might be upset with you for not telling her.”

Ram felt King’s words tear at his heart, and he hated how he found exactly the words to describe his dread. He wanted to scream at his father for fucking everything up so badly, but all he could do now was hope that he wouldn’t see him. That he would be at work when he took the dogs home. 

He sat up. “I need to go running,” he decided, staring at the rain. 

“You can’t. Not in this weather, and it’s not even light out.” King gently ran his hand up and down his back. “You could …” he faltered and Ram looked down on him.

“What?”

“I once read that it helps to scream into a pillow?” 

“I can’t,” he said quietly. “If I do, I will start crying again and then I won’t be able to stop.”

King sat up and pushed his chin against his shoulder. “If you hold all of this inside you, it will come out eventually, and it might happen when ... you really don’t want it to.”

It took Ram a moment to understand that King wasn’t necessarily talking about Ram’s situation, but rather the last day of camp, when he had shouted at him and pushed him, unable to hold back his emotions any longer. He rested his head on King's shoulder. “I’m just so tired of being upset,” he admitted. “I just want things to be okay.”

King picked up the duvet and draped it across their shoulders before he put his arm around Ram’s back. “I know. And it will get better. Eventually.”

“It already is, a lot, because of you,” Ram sighed. “I’m scared of how today will go.”

“Is that why you can’t sleep anymore?”

Ram nodded. 

“Do you want to go inside?”

“No. I like the rain. It makes it harder for me to hear my thoughts.”

“Okay.”

“But if you want to go back to sleep, please do.”

“Would you try?”

“Hmm?”

“To sleep again? It’s still about an hour until sunrise.”

Ram inhaled deeply. “Let me use the bathroom and I’ll come back.”

King nodded and kissed his temple before he let go of him. Ram slipped through the opening in the mosquito net and then went inside. He took his time in the bathroom, considering King’s words. Maybe screaming wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all, and if he cried now, maybe he wouldn’t cry later? But he did not want to upset King even more. 

He wanted a punching bag and an empty track to run until he was too exhausted to feel upset, but King was right. It was too early and wet outside to go to the gym or run in the park. So, he went outside again, snagging one of the pillows, and went back inside before King could say anything. He closed the door to the bedroom and threw the pillow onto the bed before lying down and pressing his face into it. Then he inhaled deeply and, trying to conjure up the pain he had felt when waking up, he found that he couldn’t scream. 

He lay there, on the bed, empty except for the single pillow, feeling slightly ridiculous. 

He turned on his back and stared at the ceiling, realising that his mind refused to let him go to the dark place he had been in when he had been less in control of his faculties. He angrily hit the matrass with his fists and sat up again, burying his face in his hands. He sat like this for a while, his mind churning, but he was unable to hold on to any particular thought for any length of time.

When he heard the door open, he was suddenly right where he had wanted to be. The moment King entered the room, hesitantly, by the sound of his movement, his emotions just bubbled over. He blindly reached for the pillow and pressed it to his face, pulling up his knees so he could hold it up without needing his hands, and he screamed. 

When King sat down behind him, hugging him closer, his hands around his legs, engulfing him entirely, the screams turned into sobs. King leaned against him, his cheek cool against the nape of his neck, and he simply held him. 

And this time it was different. This time, he could cry, knowing what King felt for him. This time, he could cry and not imagine that King held him out of pity or because he thought Ram expected it. This time, he knew King held him because he wanted to hold him. And he began focusing on the relief that came with the realisation. He made himself pay attention to the pressure of his hands against his knees, holding on tightly. To the solid warmth against his back and the hair that tickled his neck. To the feet that were tucked across his own. 

It took him quite some time to calm down. When the tears finally stopped flowing and he felt lighter, despite the onset of a headache, he pushed the pillow away and instead took King’s hands in his, pressing them against his face. King cleared his throat behind him and Ram wondered whether he had been crying, too. 

“Sorry,” he apologised. 

“Any better?” King asked, putting his chin on his shoulder when Ram straightened a little. 

“Being held by you is really nice,” Ram sniffed and crossed his arms across his chest, taking King’s hands with him so that he was held even closer. King kissed his ear and then his tattoo and Ram grew sad again, but then he decided that he should have expected to sleep unwell, considering what lay ahead of him, and that no tattoo, whether bewitched or not, would have helped to keep those feelings at bay.

“I’m glad,” King nuzzled his neck. “You should drink some more water. You cried a lot.” He pulled one hand out of Ram’s clasp and produced a water bottle from somewhere. Ram almost started crying again, because it meant that King had already assumed how this would go and had come prepared. 

“Hold,” King handed him the bottle and then unscrewed the lid with Ram’s help, not moving his left hand from his chest. 

Ram drank, realising only as he did how parched he was. King stayed right where he was, still holding him, his face still pressed against his neck. He drank almost the entire bottle, and King screwed the lid back on and put it away before snuggling close again.

“The sun is about to rise. Do you want to go outside and watch it with me?” he asked, and Ram wondered how often King had spent the night on the balcony to watch the sunrise. 

“But it’s raining.”

“After you left, it stopped.”

“That’s poetic,” Ram sniffed and King chuckled. 

“Yeah, it is. Come on, let’s see if the clouds are dissipating.”

Ram let go of his hands and King carefully withdrew from him. But when Ram wanted to leave the bed, King held him back by his wrist. Then he moved so he could kneel in front of him and he gently wiped his face with his thumbs. Then he handed him a tissue so he could clean his nose and another one to wipe his eyes. Only after Ram had done that he climbed off the bed and then held out his hand for Ram. 

Ram took it and let himself be pulled up. He felt a little light headed and was glad to have King to hold on to, but once they stepped outside onto the balcony, he forgot his physical discomfort. The sky above the horizon had cleared by a hand's-breadth, and the morning sun was just rising below the line of clouds, lighting them up from below in breath-taking orange, yellow and pink. He felt his breath knocked out of him and pulled King close, smiling when he draped his arm around his shoulders and kissed his cheek. 

The humid air broke the light and the houses below were dipped in mist which curled upwards as the sun brought back warmth. 

“How did you know?” Ram asked, his heart aching with the beauty of the scene. 

“It’s why I got this condo. A lady used to live here who told me about the sunrises she’d seen from the condo above when I came in for a viewing. She showed me pictures, and I knew I wanted it.”

Ram smiled and looked at King, and realised that he hadn’t been looking at the sun at all, but at him, and he felt a blush creep into his cheeks. King averted his eyes after being caught, but then seemed to decide that it was alright and smiled, kissing him again. 

“We should have taken pictures,” Ram realised when the sun slipped behind the clouds above the horizon and everything turned grey again. “That was magical.”

King shook his head. “We would have been distracted by it. It was much nicer this way.”

Ram looked at him, his heart full of love, despite the gnawing ache that just wouldn’t let go of him. “Can we lie down again?”

King nodded. “Absolutely.”

They climbed back through the mosquito net and settled down, King behind Ram, sharing the remaining pillow. Ram inhaled deeply and then closed his eyes, hoping the headache wouldn’t get worse, but finally exhausted enough to know that he would be able to fall asleep, despite the rapidly brightening day and the increase of the noise of the traffic from below.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram's POV
> 
> Slightly longer chapter, this time, because it appears that I can't stop writing little sweet moments between them haha. I meant to get further in the story, but I guess it'll need another chapter for Ram's family drama.
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3

The sun woke him up. At first, he tried to hide under the covers, feeling that he wasn’t ready to face the world yet, but the he noticed the conspicuous absence of a warm body behind him and he rubbed his face before blinking stubbornly at the sun. It was way too high in the sky for it to still be morning. 

“P’King?” he asked, timidly, not wanting any of the neighbours to hear him. 

“I’m here,” King’s voice came from somewhere behind the plants that surrounded the bed on three sides. 

“What time is it?”

“Time for you to have breakfast,” King answered, his voice coming from a different direction now. A moment later, he pulled the mosquito net to the side and handed Ram a bowl. For a moment, Ram wondered whether King had cooked, but then he saw that it was cornflakes and he couldn’t help but smile. Maybe it wasn’t that late after all? Or King had not been awake for very long either. 

King produced a bottle of milk and poured some into the bowl before handing Ram a spoon. Then he disappeared again, only to come back with a cup of coffee. He climbed into bed with Ram and waited for him to eat the cornflakes before he exchanged the bowl with the cup. 

“How are you feeling?” he finally asked, sounding apprehensive, and Ram realised that he must have held back that question since he had woken up. He shrugged. “Better, now that I’ve eaten,” he said, trying to smile. 

King gave him a sceptical look but didn’t argue. Ram was grateful for that. 

“Alright, you go and shower and …”

Ram felt a spark of heat crawl down his spine and he cleared his throat, trying his hardest to appear unaffected. 

King’s eyes narrowed for a moment before he sat up straighter so he could look down on Ram disapprovingly. 

“And then you make a list.”

“A list?”

“Of all the things you want to bring here.”

Ram sighed. It wouldn’t be an easy task. 

“It doesn’t mean that we bring everything here today, but if we already have a truck …”

“We have a truck?”

“Duen kept his promise and asked his mum. She’s picking up Duen at Bohn’s and then she’s coming here with the dogs. Duen said she’s doing a spa day at the mall around the corner, so she will leave us the truck while she’s busy for a while, and, once she’s done, we get her the truck back so she can take Duen home.” 

“So, you want to drive by the dorm as well.”

“If you want to. I mean, you can share my clothes, but maybe … you know. Books and all? Uni is starting again next week. Duen said he’d help, if you want it.”

Ram nodded. “Thank you. I wasn’t even thinking about that yet. And you are absolutely right. It makes sense to get that done today as well.”

“Of course,” King took his free hand between both of his. “If you feel like you need to stay with your family, that’s absolutely fine as well.”

“But I … you …”

“I know I was upset about it, and I’m sorry. I don’t mean to put even more weight on your shoulders. You do what you need to do. I know you’ll come home when you are ready,” he added and Ram’s heart melted. He nodded. “Okay.”

“Good, now go and shower and I’ll clean up and …”

Ram leaned forward and kissed him. His lips were chapped and the kiss wasn’t anywhere near as soft as he wanted it to be, but King sighed against his lips and kissed him back. 

“Thank you,” Ram said when he pulled back. 

“Of course,” King answered, as if he wasn’t quite sure what Ram was thanking him for, and once again it hit him how selfless King was. How he helped others without ever expecting anything in return. “Now go!”

Ram climbed off the bed and stretched once he stood, and then he looked behind him to see King stare at him openly and he couldn’t help but laugh out of the sheer joy he felt rush through him. He shook his head and leaned down to kiss him once more. 

He showered quickly, trying not to think about sex while he did, and then shaved very carefully, trying to get rid of every tiny bit of stubble that might hurt King. By his reckoning, he should have about four to five hours to kiss him all he wanted without risking to hurt him again. After he was done and had brushed his teeth, he put some of King’s face cream on his chin and above his upper lip, hoping to soften his skin even further. 

He pulled his hair into shape and then went to get dressed. King was changing the sheets when he came into the bedroom, but he stopped what he was doing and sat on the edge of the bed, watching him. “They’ll be here in ten minutes.”

Ram sighed dramatically. “And I thought I might get to make out with you for a bit.”

King cocked his head, pretending to consider his words. But then he suddenly started giggling, trying to reach for the towel around Ram’s hips. 

He stepped out of his reach. “What’s so funny?”

“I just figured it would be quicker to get you off on the couch,” he chuckled and Ram couldn’t help but join him in his laughter. 

“I swear it has nothing to do with the couch.”

“I know, you said that, and yet, you haven’t disproven my theory yet.”

“Oh, I will.”

“Right now?” King waggled his left eyebrow and Ram pulled off the towel from around his hips and smacked King’s arm with it. 

“Shut up!” he said petulantly and King dropped back onto the bed, still giggling. When he stopped laughing, Ram felt his cheeks grow warm. He knew King was looking at him. He could almost feel his eyes on him like a feather light touch. The skin on his arms broke out in gooseflesh. 

He shook his head at himself and fished boxer shorts and socks out of his backpack, putting them on before his body decided that ten minutes would absolutely be enough time to have sex, clean up and get dressed and ready to leave. He had taken all of his clothes to the laundromat when King had been gone, but he only had two clean pairs left. If he didn’t get any more from his place, he’d need to go washing again, or buy new ones. 

He slipped into his black jeans and then looked for a clean t-shirt, but found that he didn’t have any left. “Could I …?” He indicated King’s wardrobe.

“Of course,” King sat up again and smiled at him, widely, slightly lopsidedly, and Ram forgot about picking a t-shirt and climbed into his lap. 

“I’m sorry, but I really need to kiss you,” he apologised before he did just that. 

When King moaned against his lips, he pulled back again. “Sorry,” he tried to climb off King’s lap, but he held him in place. “No.”

“No?”

“No. You don’t get to be sorry. And you don’t get to stop just yet.”

“Okay,” he smiled and pushed at King’s shoulders until he dropped back onto the bed. 

“I didn’t say you could seduce me,” King frowned up at him, but his hands were already on Ram’s chest, squeezing. 

“Oh, is that what I’m doing?” Ram chuckled and kissed him again, making use of his position to pin King’s hands to the bed. When he arched up and struggled a little, he was surprised to find that it had the exact same effect on him as King giving up control in his bedroom at his parents’ house had. Only this time, he wasn’t as afraid of the intensity of the feeling anymore. He moaned and kissed him deeply before pressing his wrists harder into the matrass. 

King grunted and pushed up again, unsuccessfully. “Ai’Ning! We don’t have time!”

Ram grinned and playfully bit his chin. “I don’t care.”

“Yes, you do!” he argued but Ram shook his head and began kissing down King’s neck. 

“Don’t!” King warned him, arching up again. “Ning!”

Ram sucked gently at the spot just below his collar bone, knowing that it would be hidden by his t-shirts, but that he would be able to look at it whenever he pulled the collar down just a little. 

“Stop it!” King whined, trying to worm his way out from under him, but Ram held him tightly. 

When he was satisfied with his love bite, he kissed King again, laughing when his lips parted immediately, contrarily to what he had assumed after his protest. When King moaned and finally stopped struggling, he pulled back and climbed off him. He grinned down on him as he pulled out a t-shirt from King’s wardrobe and put it on. 

“Coming?” 

King flipped him off with both hands. And then he jumped, because the door bell rang. 

Ram wanted to go and open the door, but King was faster, flying off the bed, catching him in the door and pressing him against the frame, kissing him once again, open mouthed and wet, pressing his whole body against Ram’s, leaving him panting when he pushed himself away and made for the door. 

Duen looked a little nervous, standing in the hall, but when he saw Ram, he visibly relaxed. Ram realised that he must have been apprehensive, expecting that he would be upset, or at least anxious. Instead, he must have looked dishevelled and slightly flustered, considering how hard his heart was still beating in his chest. Whereas King, as if by some miracle, looked entirely put together. 

Ram inhaled deeply and then got his phone, keys and wallet before he followed Duen and King downstairs. Duen’s mum had been with the dogs, and handed King the keys to the truck. “Drive carefully, please,” she said to King, who nodded and bowed in thanks. “Give my best to your parents, Ram, hmm?” She squeezed his hand before she said good bye and walked away. 

“Thank you,” Ram called after her, realising too late that he hadn’t said a single word to her. 

Duen chuckled. “Come on. 

It was clear that despite his much more relaxed attitude towards his dogs, King was happy to drive the truck and to not be anywhere near the dogs that dozed happily in the wide trunk of the truck. For a moment, Ram was torn about where to sit, but he decided that maybe being close to the dogs would help him focus on them instead of on what lay ahead of him. He kissed King quickly before he got into the car and turned around to pet his dogs. 

Duen went in the front and King started the truck, driving very carefully, as not to startle the dogs. 

“So, erm, Ram?” Duen finally broke the silence. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but … I mean, if I’m there … and your mum asks me about, you know, you two?”

Ram sat down properly and sighed. “I’m not sure how I can explain,” he started. “I mean, I did not run away because of King.”

“You didn’t tell me,” Duen noted, but there was no accusation in his words, “why you ended up staying with King.”

“I found him,” King said before Ram could formulate an answer. “So, I took him home.”

“Thank you,” Duen turned towards King, sounding very serious. “We were worried for a while.”

“Oh, how could I not?” King met his gaze in the rear-view mirror. 

Duen smiled and turned around to look at Ram. “And that was that?”

King chuckled. “Oh, I wish it had been,” he said, switching back and forth between watching the traffic and watching Ram. “We weren’t … I mean, we were, but we didn’t …”

Duen turned around to Ram, as if to verify King’s words. “So, you spent three nights together before camp, and then you spent three nights in the same tent together and it took you until the final night to talk about how very obviously in love you are?”

The car lurched a little when King stepped on the accelerator too harshly and Duen laughed at him. Ram turned back around to pet his dogs. 

“Honestly,” Duen sighed. “I thought you’d get together on the day after midterms, when we were called in to cook for you. You two just disappeared for a bit, and I fully expected an announcement.”

King cleared his throat and seemed to pretend not to have heard the humour in Duen’s voice. 

“And then nothing happened. You just came back and you still didn’t talk to King, Ram,” he added and Ram did his best to pretend that he hadn’t heard Duen at all. 

“I mean, I was getting drunk and didn't pay too much attention, but you did not say a single word to each other. Do you have any idea how frustrating that was?”

Ram stubbornly faced away from Duen and King turned on the radio, making Ram bite back a laugh. 

“Fine, I just … I was surprised you seemed to believe that it was somehow news that you two are dating,” Duen clarified. 

“Two days ago,” King said, sounding wistful. Ram turned around again to find his eyes on him. 

“So, you left Ram guessing for _ten days_?” Duen asked, sounding almost shocked. 

“Why is it my fault?” King asked, frowning at Duen, who shook his head in disappointment. 

“You’re older than him.”

“So?”

Duen was silent for a moment before he shrugged. “You also talk a whole lot more than Ram.”

“He did ask me,” Ram interrupted him before he could make King feel even more uncomfortable. “Eventually.”

Duen sighed dramatically and shook his head. “Well, that’s not going to be something I will tell your mum.”

“Duen,” Ram started even as King turned into the driveway of his parents’ house. “My dad … he cheated on my mum. With Pin.”

“What?” Duen turned around to stare at him.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t … I couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t tell anyone.”

Duen’s eyes flicked to King, but he didn’t say anything. 

“I told King after I had called you to tell you I was okay.”

“Ram, I’m so sorry.”

Ram nodded. “I just … I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell you, because now you will feel … I mean.”

“Ram.”

“I didn’t tell her. She doesn’t know. I had to leave. I couldn’t stay at home, knowing …”

King parked the car and turned around. “Should we wait here?” he asked and Ram shook his head. 

“No. Despite everything, I want her to meet you,” he said, and found, to his surprise, that the notion helped him feel less apprehensive. “Because he doesn’t get to take that away from me,” he clarified, more for himself than for King. 

“Ruj is here,” Duen pointed out and Ram saw his little brother slip into his shoes and run towards the car. He opened the door and the second he stood outside, Ruj threw himself into his arms. 

“You’re home!” he cried against his neck, squeezing him tightly. Ram felt overwhelmed with love and sadness, and he held him close, trying to keep the tears at bay. 

“Just for a bit,” he finally managed and put his brother back down on his feet. Ruj wiped his face and gave him a stern look. But before he could say anything, the dogs filed out of the open car door, accompanied by King’s slightly panicked shouts, as they had jumped across the backs of the back seats and crowded around Ruj and Ram. 

“King is here?” Ruj asked after he had petted the dogs. 

Ram nodded. “Yeah.”

His little brother immediately straightened, giving him a look that Ram was all too familiar with. “I knew it!” he finally said, sounding very proud of himself, even though Ram had tried his best to keep his expression neutral. Then Ruj opened the door to the driver’s seat, finding King looking quite embarrassed and Duen, who still looked shocked. 

“So,” Ruj said, putting both hands on his hips, staring up at King as if he was the older of the two. “What do you have to say in your defense?”

King raised both hands, his cheeks gaining colour. “I love him,” he finally said. Ruj looked back and forth between Ram and King, still looking stern, but then his expression softened and he smiled widely. 

“I should have put money on it,” he sighed dramatically. “Come on in, mum’s just come back with the shopping.” 

Ram’s heart contracted painfully and he crouched down in front of Boat, hugging the dog tightly. Facing Ruj had gone world better than he had imagined it would, so maybe facing his mum wouldn’t be so horrible either. He pressed his face against his dog’s neck and closed his eyes for a moment. When he felt a hand on his shoulder, he stood up again. King took his hand and squeezed. 

“Duen?”

“I’m … I’m coming,” Duen decided and climbed out of the car. He took the dogs, walking ahead of them, and Ram envied his bravery. King kissed his shoulder and gave him a tight-lipped smile. 

“It’ll be alright,” he said, and then he pulled Ram towards the door.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram's POV

His mum leaned against the kitchen counter, folding a bag that she carefully placed onto it when they entered. “Good afternoon, Mrs Vera,” Duen said quietly and then led the dogs to the room in the back where they usually stayed. Ruj went with him, petting the dogs in turn. 

Ram let go of King’s hand and stepped towards his mother, hating to see her tear up as he came closer. He wanted to apologise. He wanted to sink to the floor at her feet and beg her to forgive him for upsetting her. Instead, she took a step towards him and gently took his face between her hands, looking at him with so much love in her eyes that he couldn’t utter a single word. 

When she pulled him into a hug, one hand against the back of his head, he allowed himself to imagine that everything was fine. She hadn’t held him like this in a long, long time, and it brought back memories of a time when all he had needed to believe that nothing could truly hurt him was a hug like this.

“Mum,” he whispered against her neck and she tightened her embrace. 

“Welcome home, Ram,” she said and kissed his cheek before she moved away again, wiping her cheeks. “Who’s this?” she finally asked, stepping around Ram to look at King. 

“King ThanThep. He’s my senior at University. He’s been tutoring me and …”

His mother gave him such a judgemental look that he took a surprised step back. Then she turned to King again, taking his hands in hers. “It’s very nice to meet you, King. Thank you for taking care of my son.”

King was speechless for once, and Ram wondered whether Duen had let anything slip after all. 

His mother smiled at him when she saw how surprised they both looked. “When Duen told me that you were fine, there weren’t many options. Ruj told me about you,” she nodded at King. “He said he had had a feeling about this boy at university that Ram was smiling about all the time.”

King’s eyes met his and Ram felt himself blush. He had thought he had been relatively successful in hiding his feelings from his little brother, though, when he considered how often he had pointed out how uncharacteristically Ram had behaved when he had thought about King or received messages from him, he saw how Ruj might have connected the dots, just as he had claimed outside. 

And suddenly it seemed so easy to lie to her about his real reason for disappearing. He wanted her to continue smiling like that. 

“Do you want some tea? I’ll make us some tea and then we sit down, hmm?” She let go of King’s hands and turned back to Ram, gently touching his face again before she rounded the counter and filled the kettle. Ram hadn’t missed the spark of sadness that had crossed her features when she had looked at him. 

“Mrs Vera, would you … I’m sorry. Where is the bathroom?” King asked, looking at Ram as if asking for permission to disappear. 

“Just down the hall on the left side. There’s a sign on the door, too, so you can’t miss it.”

“Thank you. I’ll just be a moment.” King took a small detour by passing Ram, and he gently squeezed his hand. Ram stopped him when he wanted to walk on, needing to look into his eyes for a moment longer, just to reassure himself that no matter what would happen, King would be there for him. 

King frowned, but he nodded encouragingly at him before he tapped Ram’s chest with his hand. Ram exhaled loudly when King walked away, feeling increasingly nervous.

“Ram, come here, please?” his mother said in English, and Ram turned around and joined her in the kitchen. She looked down the hall, as if to check whether they were really alone, and Ram wondered whether he was going to get _the talk_ from her. Then he remembered that she probably knew that he had already had sex last year and that his father had given him the talk when he was twelve. 

“Honey, I’m so sorry,” she said, taking both of his hands in hers, just like she had done with King. Ram’s heart took up speed. He had not expected her to apologise to him. 

“When you did not come home after the volunteer trip, I knew something was wrong. Something profound. You wouldn’t just walk away without a word and without reason. And Duen didn’t seem to know the reason either.”

Ram knew he only had this one chance, and he needed to take it now. He inhaled deeply, trying to find the words to tell her that he had run off to King because he had been afraid of what they might think. But he couldn’t say the words. He couldn’t lie like that, especially not after his mum had so gracefully welcomed King. 

“So, I asked him. I asked him why you had taken the dogs and walked away from us.”

“Him?”

She sighed and shook her head. “Your dad.”

Ram felt his world tilt a little. He stepped away from her and put his hands onto the counter behind him to keep his balance. 

“He came home just after you had left. At first, I thought it was something that you had told him about and that he had promised not to tell me. I know what you two are like, sometimes. But he said he hadn’t seen you. And, for a while, I chose to believe him.”

She pulled a tea pot from the shelf and poured loose tea into its strainer. 

“But you did not come home last week either, so I asked him again.”

She added water, watching the steam curl upwards. The she sighed and turned back to Ram. “He told me, two nights ago. About Pin. About you finding out about them. About how hurt you were.” She had wanted to put the lid on the tea pot, but it slipped from her hand, the noise of it too loud in the quiet of the kitchen. She startled and Ram saw that her hands were shaking. 

Ram wanted to help her. He wanted to take the lid and place it carefully on top of the pot. He wanted to take his mother’s hands in his and he wanted to make her unhear his father’s confession. But all he could do was to cling to the counter, trying very hard not to sink to the floor. 

“I’m so sorry, Ram. I’m so sorry he made you suffer like that while I didn’t know what had happened. How it must have hurt you.”

“Me?” he finally found his voice, and his astonishment at her words gave him enough strength to push away from the counter and come to stand in front of her. “He cheated on you!” he spat out the words as if they were poisoned. “He … he … cheated on you with Pin!” He tried to be quiet, fearing that Ruj might hear, but he could barely breathe. 

Angry tears ran down his face. His mother took his hands into hers again, easing open the fists into which they had clenched. 

“I knew something was going on. Had been, for a while. But I did not want to know. I was too tired. And he came home to dinner almost every night, and he slept in our bed, he still showed me affection, so I figured, whatever it was, it couldn’t be serious.”

Ram stared at her, uncomprehending. 

“I was almost relieved when he told me. I mean, Pin, that’s ridiculous. She’s just a few years older than you.”

“I don’t understand. Are you not upset?”

His mother pulled him into her arms again, inhaling deeply. “I am. I really am. I am angry and I am disappointed and I am tired. But I am not surprised. It’s almost text-book behaviour. A typical midlife crisis solution. Quite embarrassing, when you think about it. I had hoped it would never happen to us, but … but what makes me truly furious is that you suffered for it. That he made you promise not to say anything.”

She held him tightly, rocking him back and forth a little. “I’m so sorry.”

“Did you kick him out?” Ram asked, his emotions all over the place. He wasn’t sure whether he was relieved, shocked or angry. 

“Oh, Ram, you’re so young, still. Of course, I didn’t. Out of the bedroom, yes. But we built this home together. We have two beautiful children together, even if he seemed to have forgotten that he had certain responsibilities as a father to keep you safe.”

“Aren’t you afraid he will do it again?” Ram asked into the curve of his mother’s neck. He had closed his eyes again, finding it easier to think that way.

“I told her parents. I don’t think she’s going to be our neighbour for much longer.”

Ram had not expected his mother to find an actual solution to the problem, but considering that Pin Pin’s parents were quite conservative, he knew it was probably her best bet. He tightened his arms around her for a moment and she chuckled. That chuckle made him believe that, despite everything that had happened, things would somehow be alright. Like King had said. 

“I don’t want to see him,” he decided. “Not today, anyway.” 

“So, you are not going to stay?” She pulled back and then wiped the tears from his face. 

“I’m sorry.”

“Is he good to you?” she asked, nodding towards the end of the hall. Ram was still fighting down tears, but the question made him smile, despite it all. 

“He’s so, _so_ good to me. Honestly, I’ve never met anyone who’s just so … good. At everything.”

His mother inhaled deeply before she turned around and lifted the strainer out of the tea pot and finally put the lid on it. 

“He’s cute.”

“He’s _beautiful_ ,” Ram said before he could stop himself. 

“And you, my darling, are in love, huh?” She chuckled and squeezed his arm. “Help me with the cups?”

Ram’s hands were shaking as he carried cups to the coffee table, and he wasn’t quite sure why. He felt a little like he had in the morning, when he hadn’t been able to channel his anger and hurt and frustration. But now these emotions were intertwined with relief and the profound sense of bafflement at how rationally his mother had approached the problem. How detached she seemed from the fact that his father had cheated on her. How could she be so forgiving? And how could she be more worried for Ram than about herself. 

And yet, his worst fear had not come true. She hadn’t broken down in tears over something he had told her. She probably had, when his father had admitted to his cheating, but it wasn’t Ram’s doing. He marvelled at his mother’s strength and resilience and her ability to face him after all of this. He couldn’t understand it, but he couldn’t pretend not to be deeply impressed. 

“Does Ruj know?” he finally asked when they returned to the kitchen to get some snacks. 

She shook her head. “He obviously knows that something is wrong and that we were fighting, and he was upset with you for a bit, but I think he’ll be okay. He loves you so much, he just did not understand why you wouldn’t text him back.”

Ram nodded. “I’ll apologise to him.”

“You came home. That’s the most important thing.”

Ram nodded. “Thank you for telling me,” he wiped his face with the sleeve of his t-shirt, only to find his mother tugging at it.

“That’s not yours,” she said, cocking her head. 

“No, I … didn’t take enough clothes and I didn’t have any clean ones left.”

“So, did you buy new clothes or are you are sharing his wardrobe, too?”

Ram swallowed. “Just a couple of his things. I’ll pack some …” he watched her face carefully, “to take home with me.”

Her eyes filled with tears and for a moment, her face crumpled. Then she pulled him back into her arms. “So, it’s serious, hmm?”

Ram nodded. 

“Do you need money?”

“No, I’m fine with my allowance, don’t worry.”

“New towels? Sheets? Socks? God, Ram, you could have warned us.” She pulled back and looked at him, and Ram realised that her tears hadn’t been sad ones. 

Us. The words both stung and gladdened him. 

“I’m okay, thank you.”

“So, when did you … I mean, Ruj said that you’ve been … friends for a while.”

“ _Friends_ , yes,” Ram sighed, a tiny bit overdramatic, and his mother giggled. The sound brought tears to his eyes again. He stubbornly swallowed them back down. “He somehow decided that he would get me to talk to him, and he wouldn’t let off until I did. But he wasn’t annoying or anything, just persistent. And gorgeous.” He looked at his feet, chewing on his lower lip, trying not to blush and knowing he was failing. “And he found me, after I had run away. And he asked me to stay with him, and I did. And then we went on the volunteer trip and he got drunk and kissed me and … then he stayed with his grandmother for ten days and we didn’t really talk then, but when he came back …” Ram inhaled deeply, trying not to say too much. “He asked me to be his boyfriend.”

He dared to look up again when his mother didn’t respond. She just stood there, smiling at him wistfully. “I’m very happy for you,” she finally said. 

Ram swallowed down his embarrassment and nodded. “I think he’s still hiding in the bathroom.”

His mum chuckled and picked up the plate with the snacks they had selected. “Go get Ruj and Duen as well, hmm?”

Ram nodded and walked down the hall towards the bathroom. When he knocked on the door, King opened it immediately. He looked so worried that Ram felt the urge to comfort him rather than the other way around. King pulled him inside and wrapped his arms around him before he could utter a word, so he relaxed and let King hold him, feeling that he was slowly starting to make sense of the conflicting emotions that still battled inside him. Finally, he hugged him back, pressing his face against his neck and inhaling deeply. 

“Are you okay?” King asked, one hand stroking his back soothingly. Ram wanted him to go on forever. 

“I’m okay, I think,” he murmured. “She already knew.”

“Hmm?” King was surprised and pushed him a way a little so he could look at him. 

“She asked my dad several times why I wasn’t coming home, and he finally told her two days ago.”

“Oh, is she okay?”

Ram shook his head, but more in astonishment than negation. “I think she is. She's angry, but she … she’s not even kicked him out. She made it sound like she had expected it.”

“That’s …”

“I know!” Ram nodded. “I don’t understand. She’s upset, but she seemed more upset that I was upset …”

“That, I understand,” King said gently and kissed him. Ram sighed against his lips. 

“Thank you for being here.”

“Of course!” King hugged him again. 

“I think she really likes you,” Ram said against King’s shoulder. “She called you cute.”

King chuckled and kissed his cheek. “My mum called you cute, too.”

Ram rubbed his face against King’s shoulder, remnants of his embarrassment re-emerging and King laughed harder. “I love you.” He had spoken very softly, his amusement still audible in his voice. “And I’m glad this wasn’t as bad as you had feared.”

“We should go. Mum’s waiting outside with the tea,” Ram pulled away from King, but he caught him by his wrist and pulled him back. 

“None of this is your fault, okay?” King asked, looking serious again. Ram inhaled deeply. “I know. Rationally, I know.”

“Your heart will catch up,” King said, sounding very certain. 

Ram kissed him, but he stopped when King’s hands slid from his arms to his arse. “Behave!” he scolded him, frowning hard. 

King chuckled and squeezed, playfully, before he held up his hands, feigning innocence. Ram rolled his eyes and turned towards the door again. 

“Oh, Ruj doesn’t know. So, let’s not talk about this at all?”

“Of course.”

He had his hand on the door handle already when he turned around again. 

“Oh, and King?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OT:  
> I'm sure you've seen it on the news, but for the last couple of years, predominantly young people have been repeatedly protesting against the lack of freedom of speech (and other issues) in their country, and yesterday, the police have attenpted to violently dissolve entirely peaceful protests. This bears similarities to many other movements, recent and not so recent, as in Beralus, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Egypt, the USA etc. It's devestating to see these events unfolding and to see just how dangerous it is to speak up. I was born in a country which finally changed for the better due to peaceful protests, and an almost miraculous lack of violence from the police that had been ordered to shoot at any act of violence from the protesters, and my heart breaks everytime I see violent responses by governments, who fear their people, instead of serving them. In any case, please read the news, check the hashtag #WhatIsHappeningInThailand and show your support for the democratic movement by sharing the news and raising awareness.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King's POV

As he watched Ram walk out of the door, he had to stop for a moment to catch his breath. He had been so worried about him that he didn’t quite know how to behave now that things had turned out so very unexpectedly different from what they both had thought. 

He was incredibly relieved that his optimism had turned out to be well founded, though he was as surprised as Ram. And he hadn’t expected him to say “I love you” out loud, to his face, while looking into his eyes. He inhaled deeply and followed Ram outside, but he noticed that he hadn’t gone back to the kitchen, but around the corner in the direction in which Duen and Ram’s brother had disappeared earlier. 

So, there was really only one thing to do. He brushed his hair out of his face and made his way to the bar that separated the kitchen from the large living room. 

“Can I help you with anything,” he asked Ram’s mum, who smiled widely at him.

“No, thank you. Come, sit down.” They sat down on the couch and she poured him and herself a cup of tea. King glanced down the hall, hoping she wouldn’t notice. He gratefully accepted the cup and drank, trying to buy a bit of time. 

“Can I ask you a question?” she asked him after a moment of prolonged silence.

“Of course,” he nodded.

“I thought Tee was tutoring Ram. How did you end up doing it?”

King laughed, both out of amusement and relief that she had asked such an innocent question. “Tee wasn’t a very good tutor and I noticed that Ram was struggling a bit, so I offered to help him.”

“He’s not usually one to ask for help,” she nodded. “You must have been quite perceptive.”

King shook his head. “To be completely honest, I was trying to find a reason to talk to him, and I noticed one day that he was struggling with his homework.”

“He said you were very persistent,” she smiled and King felt his cheeks grow warm. 

“I …” he started, but they were interrupted when Ruj, Ram and Duen came around the corner and joined them. Ram’s mum poured everyone tea and refilled King’s cup. King tried to catch Ram’s eyes, but he was busy telling his brother about a comic book that he had a faint recollection of. Apparently, he had managed to make Ruj forgive him his silence. 

“Before I forget, my mother says hello,” Duen swirled the tea in his cup before drinking. He seemed uncharacteristically nervous. 

“Please give her my best. How is your sister doing?”

“She’s great,” Duen smiled. “She’s inseparable from Bohn’s little brother, though, which I’m not sure I like.”

Ram’s mum chuckled. “Well, I’m a little surprised that Bohn isn’t with you.”

Duen blushed when Ram looked at him, watching him closely. They hadn’t asked about how last night had gone. King decided to text Bohn later and ask. And to tell him that he and Ram were alright. 

“He’s busy today.”

“King,” she turned towards him again and King found himself sitting a little straighter than usual, his hands in his lap, trying to look well behaved. In the corner of his eye he saw Ram smirk. “Ram did really well in his recent exams, so thank you for tutoring him.”

King smiled widely and drank more tea. “He’s very good. He just needed someone to explain it in a different way than the professors do.”

“It helps that you are a very good teacher,” Ram said quietly, hiding behind his cup. For the first time since they had entered the house, Duen visibly relaxed. He shook Ram’s shoulder, grinning at him. “Phu told me how often King had to help you. You weren’t _that_ bad, were you?”

Ram glared at him and Duen chuckled. “You see, Ram barely spent time with us anymore the closer we got to the exams. He always said he was studying, but now I wonder …”

Ram elbowed him in the ribs and Duen laughed and moved away from him a little. 

“It was just homework,” King explained to Ram’s mum, who hadn’t stopped smiling. 

She refilled their cups again and then went to make more tea, leaving them at the table. Ram’s ears were still read, Ruj was looking back and forth between King and his brother with an expression that made it appear that he was somehow responsible for their happiness, and Duen seemed conflicted about whether he should be relaxed or not. Considering that Duen had been with Ruj when Ram had gotten them, Ram wouldn’t have told him that the situation was, at least in some ways, resolved. 

When Duen’s phone rang, everyone jumped. “Oh, Ting,” Duen greeted her. Then he didn’t say anything for quite some time and her voice could be heard, prattling on happily, and getting so loud every now and then that Duen held the phone away from his ear for a bit. 

“Right, yes. Okay. If you insist. I know you do. I wasn’t … Ting!” He sighed and stared at the phone for a moment before he hung up. 

“They are going to help.”

“With what?” Ram asked in the same moment that King asked “Who?”

Duen shook his head. “I might have told Tang this morning that we might come by your dorm to get some of your things. They want to help. And by help, I mean that they are already there, packing up your things.”

“What?” Ram stared at him. 

“I’m sorry!” Duen shook his head. “I had no idea they wouldn’t ask first.”

King watched Ram’s mum, busy with making tea, apparently unconcerned with their conversation. “Does she know?” he quietly asked when Ram looked at him a little helplessly. 

“Know what?” Ruj piped up. 

Ram sighed and turned to his brother. “I’m moving in with King.”

“But … you already did,” Ruj looked at his brother as if he felt he was a little slow. King bit back a chuckle. 

Ram stood up. “I’ll get my things. They can’t … we need to go. Duen, call her back and tell her to stop!”

Duen nodded and pressed his phone to his ear while Ram held out his hand to King. King took it, more out of reflex than anything else, and Ram pulled him up and away. 

“Why are you so panicked?”

“I’m not,” Ram said, but he was a little out of breath and his ears were turning a lovely shade of pink. 

“Wait, you’re embarrassed. Why?”

“I’m not. I just don’t want them to go through my stuff.”

“They’re your best friends.”

“Would you want Bohn and Boss to go through your things?” Ram shot back, pushing the door to his room open so quickly it smacked into the wall and flew back at him. He caught it just before it hit him in the face. 

“Ai’Ning!” King complained. “Calm down. Duen is calling Ting Ting.”

Ram inhaled deeply before he let go of King’s hand. “I’m calm,” he said, but his ears had turned even redder. King cocked his head and looked at him, but Ram threw open his wardrobe and started pulling out shirts. 

“Ram, wait,” King pulled him against his chest, trapping his arms against his sides. “I’m sorry. You will have your reasons not to want them to touch your things, but think for a moment? What do you want to take with you?”

Ram turned around in his arms and just stood like this, his head tucked under his chin, his arms still at his side, holding his shirts. King smiled and hugged him tightly. 

“I need underwear,” Ram finally said. “And socks. And my extra school shirts.”

“Good. That’s a start,” King kissed his forehead. 

Ram exhaled noisily and then moved away. King let him go. “Do you have a bag?”

“Under the bed.”

King went to get it, brushing dust off the large gym bag. It was empty, except for his head gear, boxing gloves, shoes and the shorts he had worn during his match against Bohn. When he realised that, he gasped and Ram turned around. He did look more relaxed, and when he saw what King held in his hands, he started to grin. 

“You have no idea what that evening did to me,” King admitted and put everything back. He had not expected Ram to carry over a stack of boxer shorts, push them into the bag and kiss him fully on his lips. “Oh, I think I do,” he smirked.

“Fuck, Ram, you can’t just …”

Ram giggled and King inhaled deeply. They did not have time for this! Nevertheless, when Ram came back to throw a bunch of socks into the bag, he grabbed him by the arm and pushed him onto the bed before he climbed on top of him. 

Ram stared at him with wide eyes, and King swallowed hard. “Just a kiss,” he said, more to himself than to Ram, before he leaned down and did good on his promise. Ram wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer, and he tipped his head back, deepening the kiss. 

It was the knowledge that the door stood ajar that made him pull back eventually, even though he could feel that Ram was just as affected by their kiss as he was. He looked down between their bodies and shook his head. “Sorry,” he apologised, even though he was convinced that Ram was entirely at fault. 

“Apology accepted,” Ram grinned and King took a moment to appreciate how happy Ram was, now that his fear had been somewhat alleviated. He still didn’t know why he had panicked when Duen had told him about their friends entering his dorm, but, for now, he seemed alright. 

“Which shirts do you want to take?” he asked after he had climbed off the bed. 

Ram sighed and joined him, bumping into him as if by accident. King glared at him and Ram bit his lower lip, ignoring King’s stare. Then he selected a couple of t-shirts, two muscle shirts and three button downs, two flannel shirts and another jacket. He pulled out two pairs of black jeans as well, all ripped at the knees, and, when he caught King’s judgemental expression, he found another one that seemed pristine. 

“My good ones are at the dorm,” Ram explained as he pushed everything into the bag. Then he went to his desk and got a few folders, a handful of pens and a photo album from his book shelf. Then he turned around himself once. “I think I have everything.”

“We can always come back, if you need anything else,” King assured him, even though he knew Ram would still be anxious about possibly running into his dad. 

Ram nodded. “Let’s go,” he said, closing the bag and walking out. King hoped he didn’t look like he had made out with Ram like there was no tomorrow, and followed him. 

“I’ll be back,” Ram promised Ruj, hugging him tightly. “And I promise that I’ll take you for ice cream next week. And I’ll answer your texts this time.”

Ruj turned to King when Ram let go of him. “Remember, he can hit you really hard,” he said, nodding gravely. King nodded. “I promise to be nice.”

Ruj narrowed his eyes at him before he nodded curtly. “Alright.”

Ram huffed. “Leave him alone, Ruj.” Then he walked over to his mother and took her hands in his. King couldn’t understand what he was saying, but he could almost feel the love for his mother radiating from him. He eventually kissed her cheek before hugging her briefly. Then he turned away and nodded at Duen and King. 

“Let’s go.”

Duen waved at Ram’s mother and followed him outside, but King went over to her and bowed. “Thank you for being so kind. Ram was very worried, and he felt terrible about not talking to you. But he was thinking about you all the time,” he bowed again, and was surprised when she pulled him into a hug. 

“Thank you for taking care of him,” she said, her voice thick with emotion. “I’m so glad he had you. And has you.”

King fought against tears that suddenly pricked his eyes. “He does,” he nodded and stepped back.

“If you need anything, you let me know, hmm? Ram said he is fine, but, honestly. Let me know.”

King nodded and bowed again. “Thank you.”

He found Duen and Ram nervously pacing around the car. When he unlocked it they both got in immediately. Ram threw the bag onto the backseat before getting in at the front while Duen went into the back. King started the car, trying hard not to think too deeply about recent events. 

As they moved slowly through the afternoon traffic, Ram grew increasingly nervous. King knew he would probably make it worse by saying anything. He was relieved when Duen leaned forward and squeezed his shoulder. 

“They are in the cafeteria, having coffee.”

Ram exhaled slowly, measuredly, but the tension did not leave his shoulders. 

When they finally reached the student accommodation complex, Ram looked withdrawn, almost like he had when King had met him for the first time. A display of disinterest and calm, but King knew that, if he would touch his chest, he would feel his hammering heartbeat. 

King parked the car and they made their way to the building. King was excited to see how Ram had lived, before he had decided to abandon ship, but he knew that he would have to face the scrutiny of Ram's friends first.

“P’King!” Ting Ting’s voice echoed in the entrance hall. “Ram! Duen! What took you so long?”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King's POV

Ram immediately walked over to her, talking to her quietly, but he seemed very serious. King and Duen didn’t quite dare to stand close enough to listen, and when Ting Ting moved her head to be able to look behind Ram, she was beaming. King was fairly sure that this wasn’t a good sign, considering the context and the urgency in Ram’s voice, but it was difficult to judge.

Finally, Ting Ting interrupted Ram by hugging him and he stopped talking immediately. She winked at King before she let go of him and stepped around him.

“So, P’King. What do you have to say in your defence?”

“Defence of what?”

“Of not telling us that Ram was with you before camp?”

King shook his head. “I have none. But he needed to disappear.”

She scrunched up her face and glared at him for a moment before her smile returned. “Phu heard every word,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. “Initially, he thought he had imagined it, being so drunk, but, it turns out, he wasn’t as drunk as he thought, and neither were you.”

King tried not to be embarrassed, but the thought that their friends had heard his confession that had only been meant for Ram’s ears did make him uncomfortable. Thankfully, he didn’t have time to think too deeply about it, because Ting Ting also drew him into a hug and patted his back. “I’m glad you finally talked about it. We were going mad!”

His eyes met Ram’s and, for a moment, they just stared at each other. Then Ram simply shrugged and turned around, making his way to the cafeteria. Duen pulled Ting Ting off King and dragged her behind him, while King needed a moment before he could get his legs to move. 

Thank god they hadn’t taken it further that night. But even Ram’s moan, that still made his knees weak when he thought about it, might have been heard, and it seemed too precious to be shared with anyone. He hoped that all they had heard was his shouting and the silence afterwards. 

He inhaled deeply and made his way to the cafeteria, where he found Ram sitting at a table while all of his friends were talking at him at the same time. King wondered whether they were about to introduce a challenge after all. If Bohn had had to prove his worth, maybe they expected him to do it, too?

Once he got close, they stopped and fell silent, looking at him expectantly. “Should we go upstairs?” he asked when nobody said anything. Ram stood up. “Just you and me,” he nodded. “You stay down here!” he told his friends, looking deadly serious. “Oh, and Tang. I will need your key.”

“Hmm? Why?”

“So P’King can have it.”

“Why would P’King need the key to a dorm room you don’t use anymore.”

For the first time since they had arrived, Ram’s expression relaxed into a smile. “We might, at some point,” he shrugged and then he walked away without paying attention to their shocked faces, and King laughed as he was pulled along. 

Ram pushed the call button for the elevator and then looked at King. “Sorry,” he said, shaking his head a little. “They weren’t actually trying to pack my things.”

“What were they doing?”

“That remains to be seen,” Ram sighed. 

The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. King was just considering using the few seconds it would take them to get up to the seventh floor to kiss Ram, but at the last moment, two other students joined them. Ram did not even acknowledge them, but King did not miss their lingering glances. He instinctively stood closer to Ram and he was touched when Ram took his hand in his and held it until they had reached his floor. 

He pulled him down the corridor and then unlocked a door to a fairly generic dorm room. King had lived in a room like this during his first year. He wasn’t sure what he had expected, but it did have a very distinct Ram feeling about it. Some of the furniture, like the bed, was standard edition, but there were two book shelves, a trunk and a desk that looked like Ram had brought them with him. One of the shelves held boxing trophies and medals and a family photo. A teenaged Ram was looking defiantly into the camera while his parents and a much younger Ruj beamed at him. 

Then there were books – some of them study books, some of them on dogs, some of them on nutrition and exercise, and a couple of tattoo catalogues. King pulled one out and leafed through it. 

Ram bumped into his shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t want to get one?” he asked and King shook his head. “I’d faint.”

“I’d hold your hand,” Ram smiled. 

“Well, you did that once and I hurt you, so no,” King shook his head and put the book back. Ram looked surprised and King remembered that they had never talked about it afterwards. He wondered if the marks were still visible on Ram's hand, but he had already stepped away again. 

Ram plucked his school backpack from his desk chair and began pushing books and worksheets into it. King went to sit down on the bed, still looking for any signs that Ram’s friends had been in the room. When Ram sighed loudly, he knew that he had found something. 

“What?”

Ram shook his head and showed him a notepad. Someone had drawn a large glittery-red heart on the first sheet. _Ram & King_

King laughed. “That’s not as bad as I expected,” he admitted and Ram rolled his eyes, flipping through the notepad and finding more drawings.

“Waste of paper,” he murmured, but King was amused. “Come on, that’s cute.”

“It’s not going to be the only thing.”

King shook his head and got up, opening Ram’s wardrobe. Ram was by his side in a flash, trying to close the door again. 

“What?” King asked. 

“Just, let me …”

King opened the door again, trying to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. The glint of polished leather caught his eye and before Ram could hold him back, he pulled out a pair of perfectly smooth, black leather pants. Ram had stopped moving and simply stared at the wardrobe. 

King frowned. “Is that what you were afraid of they might find?”

Ram exhaled slowly and then shook his head. “It’s not just … that.”

“Are those your fuck-me trousers?” King asked, unable to hide his amusement. “The ones you would go dancing in when you …”

“Yes,” Ram said, very quietly. 

King laughed. “They are definitely coming with, then.”

Ram stared at him, his eyes wide. King wondered whether he had been afraid he might somehow be offended by him owning a pair of sexy trousers. “What else?” he asked, waggling his eyebrows and the corners of Ram’s lips twitched. 

He pushed a few shirts to the side to reveal a ruffled shirt that was so thin it was positively see through. King swallowed. 

“You would wear those together?” he asked, his voice sounding oddly unlike himself. 

Ram nodded. “Not always, but there were themed evenings and …”

“So, you would dress up like a vampire?”

“It always worked,” Ram said, to his wardrobe again. King chuckled and kissed his cheek. 

“I can see why.” He put both items on the bed. “What else?”

Ram pulled out another couple of shirts, his school tie, his blazer and more work out clothes. King was a tiny bit disappointed that nothing extraordinary followed. Ram took a small box and put it on the bed, too. 

“May I?” King asked, picking it up. Ram shrugged and nodded. It was a jewellery box, holding several rings, a watch and a couple of leather armbands and necklaces. King remembered that Ram had worn a necklace almost all the time, but he hadn’t worn any jewellery at all during the last two days. 

Ram disappeared in the bathroom and returned with a bag full of his toiletries while King had folded his clothes. 

“So, they all knew, hmm?” he asked when Ram sat down next to him to help. 

“Apparently, yes. Ting said they were disappointed when they didn’t catch us making out when we stayed at your parents’ place.”

King remembered how they had barged in on them just as Ram had removed the splinter from his hand. God, he had been trying so hard not to let his feelings show on the day, especially since he knew that Ram had been upset. It made a whole lot more sense now why Ting Ting had behaved in the way she had. 

“I would have loved nothing more than to kiss you that day,” King admitted and Ram’s eyes went wide. He looked at him silently for a moment and King felt his heart take up speed. Then he got up and opened his wardrobe again, pulling out a shoe box. He brought it back to the bed and held it out to King. 

“What is it?” he asked, watching Ram carefully. He seemed conflicted about something, but his words seemed to have caused him to go and get the box in the first place, so he figured that Ram did want him to look at the contents of the box. 

“I would have taken it with me, but since I didn’t come here after leaving home, I just … left it here.”

King gingerly lifted the lid off the box. It held a couple of exercise sheets, a t-shirt and a small envelope. He looked up at Ram, not understanding what he was seeing and why Ram might be embarrassed about it. 

“They didn’t touch it,” Ram breathed out a sigh of relief. “I thought they might have found it and …”

“And?”

Ram sat down next to him again. “It’s all you,” he said, very quietly. “It’s your notes and the homework you helped me with. Your handwriting. Your stamp on my life.”

King looked at him, feeling like something was squeezing his chest. He inhaled shakily. 

“And this is your t-shirt, from when your sister drove me home and spilled water over me. I had meant to give it back, and I had it with me, for a while. But I didn’t see you and then I thought that maybe you did not miss it, because you did not ask about it. When your sister came to the dinner, I was scared she would ask if I had given it back to you …” he reached into the box and pulled out a pencil. The pencil King had given him when Ram had lost his mother’s lucky pencil. 

Ram looked down on it with a small smile on his face. “I couldn’t tell you then, but … Phu had borrowed my mum’s pencil, and he gave it back to me just before we started the test. But I did use yours anyway, because …” he looked at King, his eyes bright. “Because what you did for me that day was so, so kind. You were ridiculous and I was so in love with you because of it.”

King gasped. He had been so confused that day, thinking Ram had a girlfriend, he had almost forgotten about the pencil incident. He realised that his lungs still weren’t functioning the way they should. 

Ram put the pencil back and picked up the envelope. It held a small, blank card. As he opened it, King’s hands started to shake, rattling the box a little bit. “You kept it,” he said, his voice choked. The small purple blossom he had tucked behind Ram’s ear looked beautifully fragile, flattened and dried and attached to the inside of the card with a thin strip of tape. 

Ram nodded before he closed the card again and pushed it back into the envelope. Then he replaced it in the box and put the lid back on. King was still trembling, despite trying not to, but not being able to breathe properly while being close to tears wasn’t really helping with that. 

When Ram took the box from him and placed it on top of the stack of clothes, he finally dared to move. He took Ram’s face between his hands and leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. Then he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, finally allowing the tears to fall. 

“Why are you crying?” Ram asked gently and King shook his head, just a little as not to break their contact. 

“I don’t know. I just feel too much.”

Ram made an amused sound and pushed his hands into King’s hair. Then he tipped his head back a little and kissed him. King felt the overwhelming urge to pull him closer and to kiss him with all he had, but he knew how easily it could turn into an issue and he did not want to be in pain again when he kissed Ram. Then he remembered his own advice and sought out Ram’s tongue with his own. 

The amused huff it drew from Ram told King that he knew exactly what he was doing. The kiss turned filthy and wet and they both had to stop several times because they had to giggle. When they separated, they wiped their faces, still laughing, and King shook his head. “Never in my life,” he admitted, and Ram cocked his head. 

“What?”

King sat cross legged on the bed and looked at Ram. “Never in my life would I have expected to be kissed like that by a boy that I watched through a shelf in the library and who left me to be eaten by a monster dog.”

Ram grinned and leaned forward, kissing King from below. King sighed against his lips. “He’s just neglected,” Ram shrugged when he pulled back. “That’s why he barks.”

“And never would I have thought that the silent boy with the icy stare had the biggest of all hearts.”

Ram chuckled and let himself drop forward. He fell against King’s chest and King cradled him. 

“And never would I have thought that the same boy is such a cuddler,” he smiled and kissed the top of Ram’s head.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram's POV
> 
> Only a couple more chapters until I wrap this up. Ugh, I will miss writing them!

He wanted to stay like this, safe, in King’s arms, but he knew his friends would come and check on them eventually. 

“I want to go home,” he said when he felt that if he didn’t move now, he would throw caution in the wind and make himself even more comfortable. But the thought that he could have this, but with the safe knowledge that nobody would barge in on them, drove him to sit up again. 

“Have you got everything that you want to take?” King asked, looking around the room. 

“Almost, yes,” Ram moved to his bedside table and pulled open the door to the small cabinet underneath it. He tried not to feel self-conscious, but somehow he couldn’t quite stop his heart from beating too quickly. He produced the box that he had kept there, almost untouched in the last six months. He wasn’t sure how to tell King, so he just held it out to him, trying not to feel too embarrassed. 

King frowned, but he could see in his face that he has a suspicion. He looked at Ram when he opened it, and when he lowered his gaze, he froze for a moment, staring at its contents, before falling back onto the bed, laughing. 

Ram had expected many things, but not that.

“Why are you laughing?” he asked, wondering if he should be hurt or if he had somehow misread King completely. 

King waved the box in his direction, still laughing. So, Ram took it, ready to defend himself, but when he saw what had set King off, he couldn’t help but laugh, too. Instead of a box of condoms and a bottle of lube, it now held a whole lot of lose condom sachets, each of them carrying a small post it with an encouragement written on it in Ting Ting’s neat handwriting. There was also a brand-new bottle of lube, with a larger piece of paper taped to it.

_Your condoms were expired, Ram! You need to stay on top of these things! So we got you new ones. Good for two years, though you’ll probably have used them all before next term is out. We’re not getting you a birthday present, by the way, those were expensive!_

King sat up again, wiping his face. “I’m sorry, but this is …”

“Do you think they did the same for Duen?” Ram asked, and King’s eyes went wide. 

“I highly doubt it, but … but Bohn. We need to do this for Bohn!”

“No,” Ram shook his head. “It would seem like we’re pressuring him.”

King sobered up a little. “What do you mean?”

Ram swallowed. He wasn’t sure whether he was right, but after what Duen had told him, it was very likely that Bohn had never had sex before, despite his public image as a player. 

“It’d be … different,” he shrugged. 

“Why?” King prompted again and Ram realised that maybe King wasn’t the right person to have this conversation with. 

“Are you alright with this?” he asked, watching him carefully. “I mean, with … me, wanting to bring these.”

King sucked his lower lip into his mouth and nodded, and Ram felt a lot more relieved than he had expected. 

“I don’t mean to … pressure you either,” Ram said quietly. 

King released his lip and for a moment, Ram forgot what they had been talking about. When King smiled, he remembered and did his best to focus on his eyes. 

“I … was thinking about ordering lube online,” King admitted, scrunching up his nose in embarrassment. “And I’m sort of relieved that I won’t have to, now.”

Ram stared at him, his heart in his throat. Maybe King was exactly the right person to have this conversation with after all. 

“And the condoms?”

King cocked his head, looking at the contents of the box again. Then he nodded. “Yeah, I want to try.”

Ram decided to ignore the rush of blood to his head. He had not expected to blush at King’s words, but here he was, feeling his face burn. 

“Ai’Ning,” King grinned. “I thought I was supposed to get all shy over this, not you!”

Ram tried to glare at him, but found that he couldn’t, not without grinning. He sniffed and threw a condom at him. King laughed and picked it up, reading the post-it. 

“Keep it up!” he snorted and threw it back. “It would be really funny to do this for Bohn. I’m sure he’s already stocked up. It might just be some time until they have sex, but … you know, it doesn’t hurt to practice.”

Ram raised an eyebrow at that and King giggled. “Well, you know. Just to see what it feels like?”

“When you said just your hand and the internet, you …”

“Ah, shut up!” King gently kicked him and Ram laughed. Then he closed the box again and put it on the pile. He got another gym bag from the top of his wardrobe and sorted his clothes, the two boxes and his toiletries into it. When he zipped it closed, he realised that King had watched him all this time, a serene smile on his face.

Ram cocked his head and King’s smile grew wider. “You just … talked so much today,” he finally said and Ram felt a rush of affection for King that made it impossible for him not to join him on the bed. He pushed his hand into King’s hair and kissed his cheek. “I told you, I do talk, normally.”

“Exactly,” King breathed. “I just never really thought I would get to be in a place where I would belong to that kind of normal for you. I was hopeful, but …”

Ram swallowed hard. The way King talked about their relationship and how he described him made him feel so special he was almost embarrassed by it. “I like P’King,” he said, watching as King’s eyes widened with realisation. “P’King is cute,” he added, unable to stop smiling. “P’King is the nicest person in the world.” He nodded to emphasize the last point.

“You remember?” King asked, sounding truly amazed. 

Ram huffed out a laugh. “Of course I do! You almost made me confess my feelings for you that day!”

“But I …”

“Everything you said was spot on,” Ram grinned. 

“Oh god,” King let himself fall backwards. 

“What?”

“Just … in hindsight …”

Ram lay down next to him, looking at his face. He was reminded of how often they had been this close, with the tangible connection that neither of them had dared to turn into something real. Just to prove to himself that he could, and that he was allowed now, he closed the distance and kissed King. King sighed against his lips. 

“I think the fact that you did not repeat what I said made me hope more,” King finally said, pouting a little. “If you had simply repeated it, it would have seemed like you were mocking me, but you didn’t.”

“I did. Well, until you started taking words out of my mouth,” Ram nudged King’s nose with his own. 

King was about to respond when a loud knock interrupted them. Ram pulled back and sat up, but before he could get off the bed to open the door, it was already pushed open and his friends stood in the hall, each one of them with their phones at the ready. 

“Hahaa!” Ting Ting stepped into the room, holding out her phone like a weapon. “What do we have here?”

Ram rolled his eyes and looked at King, whose carefully blank expression was highly impressive. And Ram knew they would have gotten away with pretending innocence under different circumstances, but their hair was dishevelled and their lips slightly red and puffy from their kisses. 

“We were just about to leave,” Ram said, trying to sound unimpressed. Tang stepped next to Ting Ting, nudging her shoulder. 

“Did you … pack everything?” she asked, waggling her eyebrow suggestively. 

And Ram knew it was his one chance to get out of this without having to enter an hour-long lecture on safe sex whose first instalment he had already received last year. Phu and Ting Ting had held him captive in a café while Duen had stared at the table the entire time, wincing and blushing, and Tang had just shaken his head at his friends. He would never forget that Ting Ting had brought laminated charts and a whole book on STDs and hygiene.

He took hold of King’s wrist and pulled him up. Then he handed him his backpack while he took the larger bag and held out his hand. “Tang, my key.”

His friend pulled out his own set of keys and removed the one for the dorm room from the keyring. Ram pushed it into King’s trouser pocket without thinking, startling when King made an undignified noise, and he wondered whether he had missed a vital clue about King’s state just now. But it was too late to contemplate that now. He crowded Tang and Ting Ting out of the room, waited until King had made his way past him and gave his room one sweeping last look. Tang had been absolutely right. He had no real intention of staying here again, but he did not want to make any assumptions about his living situation with King, so he would hold on to this. And if King ever needed to disappear, he could offer him a place to stay, too. 

“Ram,” Ting Ting pouted, standing in his way as he wanted to close the door. “Did you pack everything you need?” 

Ram almost cracked, but he just looked at her as if he had no idea what she was talking about. Then he nodded and locked the door. The huff that followed made him smile despite his best attempts to keep a straight face. When he looked at King, he could see that he was very close to laughing as well. 

“Come,” he took hold of King’s wrist and pulled him down the hall. He stopped to call the elevator, ignoring the glares he received from his friend. 

They crowded into the lift and Ram had to stare at the wall in order not to laugh. When he made the mistake of looking over his shoulder at King, he had to cough to cover for the amused sound that escaped him. When the doors slid open, Ting Ting stood in their way, and Ram was almost sure she would force them to go back upstairs, but she squinted at him, clearly having noticed that something was going on. 

“Let me take the bag,” she offered, and all of the boys stared at her. Having stood in the door too long, a warning sound startled her and she stepped back, throwing up her hands. “Fine, ignore me!”

“I’m fine carrying the bag,” Ram said gently. “And yes, I did pack everything that I will need. I’ll see you guys next week, hmm?”

“Next week?” Phu asked, astonished. 

“I only just got back,” King spoke up, “and I want to spend some time with my boyfriend.”

Ram had expected his friends to mock him, but they all just stared at him in wonder. 

“I want a boyfriend who is that sweet,” Ting Ting complained and Ram noticed Tang giving her a strange look. 

“Thank you for being here. I meant to call you and meet up, to tell you about King, but since you all already knew …”

“Ram, light of my life, the way you stared at the pictures I took of you two, there was absolutely no doubt,” Ting Ting smiled. “Even if Phu hadn’t heard you,” she looked at King. “You had already left, and Ram was not very happy,” she explained to King. “So, I sent him the other photos that I took of you at the waterfall. You should have seen him smile.” She sighed happily, clutching her hands. “Oh, there was absolutely no doubt.”

King had blushed visibly, and Ram couldn’t bring himself to just walk out like he had initially planned. 

He hugged Ting Ting, squeezing tightly enough for her to squeal. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “Also for the presents,” he grinned at her when he pulled back. For once, she wasn’t putting on a face, but she looked truly pleased. 

“So, you did find it.”

Ram nodded. Then he took hold of King’s hand and pulled him away. “Duen!” he called out to his friend when he realised he had stayed behind, having apparently forgotten that they needed to get him and the car back to his mum. 

Ram put the bags in the backseat and then climbed into the passenger’s seat. Duen got into the car and sighed loudly. He clearly wanted to speak, but stopped when King got in and started the car. They drove in silence for a while, but Ram could practically feel Duen bursting with the need to speak. 

“What?” Ram prompted, turning around to him. 

Duen inhaled again and then shook his head. “I’m … confused.”

“Why?”

“First of all, your family.” 

“Oh,” Ram nodded, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Ruj was there and then I was … distracted.”

Duen nodded. “You seemed okay?”

“I’m not sure,” Ram admitted. “But … mum asked dad, and eventually he told her. And she’s making sure that Pin isn’t going to be able to spend time with my dad, at least not as often. But she didn’t kick him out. I don’t understand why, but it seems like she … somehow … thinks this is better?”

“Are you going to talk to him?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I’ll have to, eventually, but … as long as mum is okay …”

Duen nodded. “Thank you for telling me.” 

“And second of all?” Ram asked, his eyes falling on the bag next to Duen. 

“Bohn didn’t try … _anything_ last night.”

King gasped and Ram wondered once again what they had talked about last night. 

“I … I slept in his bed, and I told him not to try anything, as usual, and … he didn’t.”

“And that confuses you?” Ram asked, wondering whether he should have another word with Bohn. 

Duen huffed. “It was the first time that I offered to stay with him, without him asking me to. I thought that made it clear that maybe … you know …”

“What?” King asked. 

“That maybe he could … that he would … maybe ask?”

“Oh my god,” King said emphatically, and Duen grew shyer by the second. King parked the car and Ram was surprised that they had already arrived at their destination. “Listen, Duen,” he turned around. “He’s worried. He’s worried he’ll drive you away.”

“What?”

“He wants you to make the decisions. He doesn’t want to pressure you. I’m sure he can’t help himself sometimes, but he really, really likes you. And he would very much like to be with you in … a more intimate way, but he wants you to want it.”

Ram swallowed. Hearing King talk to freely about his friend’s hopes and fears made him realise how much King was involved, emotionally, in the lives of the people he surrounded himself with. 

“So, he might not have tried anything last night, because I told him not to pressure you. But if you want to take this further, you need to tell him.”

Duen looked at King with something resembling reverence. 

“And even if you change your mind, Bohn will respect that, because he knows that if he does anything to hurt you, Ram will come for him.”

Duen looked at Ram like he had after the boxing match and Ram couldn’t help but smile and nod. 

“So, if you tell him not to try anything, he won’t try anything. But if you tell him what you want, he’s more than ready to give you whatever it is.” King explained. Ram squeezed his knee to show him how much he appreciated his words. 

Duen nodded. “Thank you for saying that and for talking to him.”

King smiled and then got out of the car. Ram joined him, pulling out the bags. 

“Do you want to come upstairs for a bite to eat?” King asked, and Duen looked back and forth between him and Ram. 

“I ate something at the cafeteria, thank you.”

“Tea?”

“Are you sure?”

King nodded and Ram followed suit. He was a little annoyed with himself for wishing that Duen’s mum would hurry up and come to get the car, but he knew it wouldn’t take long anyway, and he was happy to spend some time with Duen without having Bohn around. 

“Okay, but I’ll call mum to see when she’s done.”

“Sure.”

Duen picked up one of the bags, leaving the other bag and the backpack for Ram and King. Once they were in the condo, Ram carried everything into the bedroom, unwilling to unpack anything in front of Duen. 

“She’ll be here in half an hour,” Duen informed him when he returned. King had already started on the tea and they settled down on the couch. 

“Are you okay?” Duen asked and Ram nodded. 

“I thought they would trash my room or something.”

“Oh, come on. You know they wouldn’t. They said they just left you some notes and that you better check everything before you move out.”

Ram huffed. “So, I will need to go back and check. I knew they would make me work for it.”

“They’re just sad you are moving a little further away from them.”

“It’s not that far,” Ram complained but Duen smiled. 

“It’s not just the physical distance. You’ll just have less time to spend with us.”

“I’ll still join you for lunch, like always,” Ram insisted and Duen smiled. 

“Okay.” He did not seem convinced and when King brought over the cups, he could see why. The thought of being able to spend time between classes with King was overwhelmingly lovely. Maybe they could meet in the library and make out where they had first met? He sucked on his lower lip, allowing himself to imagine that for a moment, only to be elbowed in the ribs. 

“That’s exactly what I mean,” Duen complained, apparently over his head, to King. King just chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ll be busy, too, sometimes.”

Duen laughed and shook his head. “Things will definitely be different next term.” 

Better, Ram thought. They would definitely be better.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram's POV

When King closed the door behind Duen, Ram sank back against the cushions of the couch. It had been some time since he had spent so much time with so many different people within the span of two days, and he felt emotionally and physically drained. He still couldn’t quite make sense of his mother’s decision, but he felt himself slowly accepting that his dad would still be part of his family, and his life, whether he was angry with him or not. And while he still felt sick to his stomach thinking about his betrayal, he also realised that he was relieved. He would never stop being angry if he’d have left them, and the fact that leaving did not seem to have crossed his mind told him that maybe his mum was right, and his family was more important to him than his affair. 

He sighed, closing his eyes, trying not to think too much about it. When he felt King’s hand settle against his stomach, he inhaled deeply in order to increase the pressure. 

“Are you okay?” King asked, and Ram realised that King asked him that question with a regularity that should have been alarming, but all it did was to make him feel cared for. 

“I’m just tired.”

“Of course you are,” King petted his stomach gently. “I’ll get you some water, and then we order dinner, hmm?”

“That would be nice,” Ram nodded, but when King wanted to get up, he held his hand down against him. “Just another minute?” he asked and King smiled. 

“You did well today,” King said after a while and Ram blinked tiredly at him. “You were incredibly brave.”

“It didn’t feel like it.”

King nodded. “Still. I’m proud of you, Ram.”

Ram swallowed, feeling suddenly overwhelmed with love for King. He pushed himself up and drew him into his arms, holding on tightly. 

“Thank you for coming with me. And for getting me through the morning.”

“Of course,” King ruffled his hair. “Now, let go so I can take care of you.”

Ram moved back and cocked his head before his looked down at the couch. King snorted. 

“I know that it would only take a minute, but I really don’t want you to fall asleep on me while I’m giving my life’s first blowjob.”

Ram gaped at him when King winked and then got up, leaving him there as if nothing had happened; as if he hadn’t just caused Ram’s heart to beat at twice it’s usual pace. 

When he came back with a glass of water, Ram tried to sit up straight and to look less tired than he felt. “I wouldn’t!” he argued as King put the glass into his hands before kissing his forehead. 

“It’s my first, so I would obviously have to take things slow, and, you know, practice a little, to see what works. It would take quite some time to get it right, don’t you think?”

Ram’s face was burning, but he held King’s gaze. “You said yourself that it would only take a minute.”

King smirked. “So, you admit it?”

“No! Just … for argument’s sake.”

“Ram, I’m not going to try something new just to have you come before I’ve even started.”

“I said I wouldn’t.”

“So now you are contradicting yourself?”

He could tell from King’s expression that he found their exchange highly amusing and possibly also adorable, but he lost track of what he should be saying to get King to touch him, and when King slowly licked his lower lip, he just blanked entirely. 

“As I see it, there are two options here,” King stated, slipping one hand under Ram’s shirt and moving upwards. Ram lifted his arms to give him better access and almost spilled water on the couch. “Option one is, you fall asleep on me, and option two is, you come before I can actually do anything and then fall asleep on me. So, how about you drink this,” he pointed at the glass with the hand that wasn’t currently squeezing his chest,” then you lie down and sleep for a bit and I’ll wake you up when dinner’s here and then you sleep some more?”

Ram pouted, not quite knowing why. Considering that his arms grew heavy and that leaning forward against King became more tempting by the second, King’s words seemed to make sense, even if he stubbornly tried not to agree. 

King shook his head, taking hold of the glass and guiding it to Ram’s lips. He was just about to drink when he let go and the hand that was still under his shirt squeezed a nipple. Ram gasped and almost upended the glass, spilling enough of the water to wet the front of his t-shirt. 

“Oops,” King said, sounding delighted. Ram tried to look angry, but all he could muster was a tired frown. “I guess you should take this off, hmm?”

King took the glass from him and pulled at his shirt. Ram resigned himself to his fate and lifted his arms. King smiled and handed him the glass back. “Finish this and I’ll get you another one.”

Ram dutifully drank before King could come up with a plan to pour the remaining water over him as well. He got up and returned with a bottle. “Less easy to spill,” he grinned. 

“P’King,” Ram sighed as he held out the empty glass to him. 

“Hmm?”

“Won’t I get cold?”

“I’ll leave the AC off.”

“Why did you do this if you are not going to touch me properly.”

“I just want to look at you,” King said, sounding a little bashful all of the sudden.

Ram rolled his eyes and lay down. “You could have just asked.”

“I know.”

Ram snorted and turned away from King, resting his head on his arm. He fell asleep almost immediately. 

When he woke up, only the small desk lamp in the corner was switched on and Ram was covered by a blanket. King sat at the end of the couch, scrolling down his phone, his left hand draped loosely across Ram’s ankle. 

“Hey,” he murmured, inhaling deeply and stretching. “What time is it?”

King smiled and put down his phone. “I’m sorry. I tried to wake you for dinner, but you were just dead to the world.”

“Aren’t you tired?” Ram squeezed his eyes closed and opened them again, blinking several times. His limbs felt like lead. He clearly wasn’t done sleeping. 

“Hmm, yes, but I … didn’t want to leave you here.”

“You could have squeezed in,” Ram argued, but King shook his head. 

“Are you hungry?”

Ram tried to listen to his body, but he couldn’t say for sure. He reached for the water bottle and drank some. “Can you carry me?” he asked King when he failed to screw the lid back on. King huffed. 

“I honestly don’t know.” He took the bottle from him. “You should brush your teeth.”

Ram sighed loudly. “Fine. Fine. I can walk.” He rolled off the couch, but instead of landing on his feet as he had planned, he simply slipped down and came to sit on the floor, the couch at his back. 

King chuckled and got up, taking hold of his arms. “One, two, three,” he counted and then pulled, unsuccessfully. 

“Try again. I’ll help this time.”

King scrunched up his nose and then went down on all fours in front of him. “I think you need a little fuel,” he said, nodding to himself. Then he leaned forward and kissed his chin before moving further back and closing his lips around Ram’s ear lobe. A shock ran through him that he hadn’t expected. King made a delighted noise and pulled back “That’s it,” he grinned and took hold of Ram’s hands again.

He wasn’t sure whether King had just distracted him from his own exhaustion or whether the small but profound pleasure he had caused him had indeed unlocked some hidden strength, but he did manage to get up and take a few steps into the direction of the bathroom. 

“You’ll have to do that again so I can brush my teeth,” he murmured as King pulled him into the bathroom and stood him by the sink. Then he took his toothbrush, wet it, and put toothpaste on it before handing it to Ram. And then he did exactly what Ram had asked of him. He stood by his side, gently biting at his hear lobe, only to flick his tongue against it before sucking carefully. Ram almost lost his footing, but he managed to hold on to the sink. The toothbrush clattered onto the floor. 

King sighed and let go of him to pick it up. “I see. It’s not really helping.”

Ram washed his mouth and cleaned the toothbrush. The cold water helped him a little to stay awake. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologised, gazing down at the specks of toothpaste by his feet. “It felt very nice.”

King chuckled and kissed his shoulder. “This is what I meant when I said I don’t want you to fall asleep on me while I’m trying to touch you.”

Ram turned towards him and simply leaned forward, trusting King to hold him up. “I promise …” he started, but then he lost track of what he had meant to say. 

“Do you need to use the toilet?” King asked, clearly running out of patience, or strength. 

“Maybe?” Ram sighed. 

King steered him in the direction of the toilet and then made sure he stood upright before he went to wipe the toothpaste off the floor. 

“Hmm, P’King?” Ram asked when he was done. He tried to flush the toilet and failed, but he was proud that he managed to pull up his underwear and jeans again. 

King shook his head as he steered him back to the sink, insisting that he wash his hands. The he pulled him out of the bathroom. “If you could see yourself now,” he said quietly. 

“Hmm?” Ram asked, allowing himself to be led into the bedroom. He dropped forward and crawled into the middle of the bed before collapsing there. 

“Nothing,” King said. 

Ram pondered for a moment why King would say something like this when he had been standing in front of the large mirror in the bathroom, and it took him a moment to realise that King didn’t mean that kind of _seeing_. He hoped he would remember in the morning so he could ask him about it. 

“Let me take off your trousers, hmm?” 

Ram rolled onto his back, squinting up at King. When he knelt over his legs and unbuttoned his jeans, Ram felt a spark of arousal and he moaned quietly, closing his eyes to the image of King undressing him. King pulled the jeans down his legs, grunting with the effort, and Ram cursed his body for getting a little excited despite his exhaustion. He heard King laugh out loud, and he knew he had noticed. But then he turned off the light and returned to bed.

“Ai’Ning,” he chuckled as he lay down behind him and then snuggled close. “Hold that thought, hmm?” He covered them both with a duvet and then slipped his arm under Ram’s to hug him. 

Ram just grunted and pushed back a little. Then he pulled the duvet closer around himself and let sleep take him once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Am I channelling my own exhaustion in this chapter? Why, yes I am. I wrote most of this being half asleep myself. But Ram does strike me as someone who does get overwhelmed by too much social interaction - and add that to the constant fear and anger ... no wonder he crashed.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King's POV
> 
> A bit of domesticity and smut, heh.

He didn't sleep much as he kept waking up, checking that Ram was still asleep. Seeing him crash like he had last night had driven home to him just how much Ram had carried on his shoulders during the last weeks. And how, underneath that strong back and those capable hands and that calm exterior, Ram was incredibly vulnerable.

When he hadn’t managed to wake him up to eat, he had grown worried, but then Ram had taken hold of his hand and pulled it close, holding on to him until his body had relaxed again and a frown he had carried until then had given way to a soft smile. 

Sitting next to him on the couch, he had allowed himself to get a little emotional about how profoundly his life had changed within the span of half a week. All of his desperate longing and his uncertainty had been replaced with emotions that were just as deep and just as impactful, but underneath it all, there was the calming certainty that Ram loved him back. 

The way Ram had trusted him implicitly and totally to get him into bed while he was weak as a kitten had awakened a new level of affection that slowly settled into his bones as he lay pressed against him, listening to him breathe. He eventually drifted off, but when Ram moved, rolling his shoulder a little and sighing in his sleep, he woke up again. 

He wanted to kiss Ram’s shoulder, but he did not dare wake him. As he lay there, fighting the urge to hug him more tightly, he realised that, so far, they had only told Ram’s friends and Bohn about their relationship. And while his own friends clearly knew, he wanted to tell them as well. Maybe they could meet up for drinks somewhere? But the thought of dragging Ram to a bar and to subject him to Boss’s and Tee’s mocking comments worried him a little. He would ask Bohn to behave, knowing he would humour him, and maybe Mek could distract Boss a little, and Tee? Well, Tee would probably have a field day, claiming that he was solely responsible for their meeting, because of the volunteer meeting he had blackmailed King into attending. And possibly even by failing so completely as a tutor that he practically rolled out the red carpet for King. 

He chuckled and Ram stirred. 

“Hmm, why are you awake?” Ram asked, his words slurred. 

“I can’t sleep,” King admitted, realising too late that he shouldn’t say something like that to Ram. He wanted to kick himself when Ram turned around in his arms and squinted at him. It was too dark to see anything beyond the flutter of his eyelashes, but King knew he was looking at him. 

“Anything I can do?” Ram asked, his hand coming to rest on his chest. 

“My brain just won’t shut up,” King answered, ignoring Ram’s offer. “But it’s fine. I’ve got you.”

Ram’s breath tickled his neck as he huffed. “Yeah, you got me.”

“Go back to sleep, love,” King gently ran his hand through Ram’s hair and finally settling it against his neck, massaging gently. 

“I love when you call me that,” Ram admitted against his collar bone. 

“You called me that, first.”

“I did?”

King kissed his forehead. “Hmm. When I panicked because of your dogs.”

“Oh,” Ram breathed. “I didn’t notice I said it out loud.”

“Wait,” King tipped his head up a little, even though he couldn’t really see Ram’s face. “Does that mean you thought it, before?” He knew it was unfair asking such a question when Ram was only half conscious, but the thought alone made his heart beat faster. 

“Hmm,” Ram sighed. “I did.”

“When?” King was suddenly breathless and the way Ram’s fingers curled against his back, fisting at his shirt, didn’t really help him calm down. 

“All the time,” Ram leaned forward and pressed his lips to the corner of his mouth for a moment. “When you got hurt. And at the hospital. And after. And every day since.”

King kissed him and he was surprised when Ram kissed him back, even if only for a moment before his energy ran out. He tucked his head under King’s chin and sighed deeply. For a while, King considered asking another question, but before long, he realised that Ram had fallen back asleep. 

The first rays of sunlight broke through the curtains when he finally fell asleep, too. 

When he did wake up, the curtains were drawn, the smell of coffee hung in the air and the bed was conspicuously empty. King sighed and rolled out of bed, ruffling his hair as he stepped into the kitchen. Ram stood by the stove, a tea-towel draped over his disappointingly clothed shoulder, humming under his breath. 

“Hmm, morning,” King said and stepped behind him, kissing his neck. 

“Morning,” Ram smiled. “Go have a shower. Breakfast will be ready in a moment.”

“How long have you been up?”

Instead of telling King, Ram looked pointedly down on himself and then shrugged. King giggled and slapped his arse, drawing a yelp from Ram. 

“Go,” Ram elbowed him in the ribs. 

“Fine,” King sniffed and dragged himself into the bathroom. The shower woke him up, but he knew he would probably have to take a nap during the day – preferably in Ram’s arms. He shaved carefully, glad that their lips seemed to have recovered, but not wanting to risk a repeat experience. 

And then he spent quite some time looking at the love bite just below his collar bone. He tapped it carefully with his fingertips. He wouldn’t ever get a tattoo, but carrying a visible reminder of Ram’s affection on his body did make him feel quite emotional nevertheless. 

He decided against getting dressed and simply wrapped a towel around his hips. When he returned to the kitchen, Ram was just about to place bowls on the table, but he stopped and looked at him, letting his eyes wander from his face and down and then up again. King stood rooted to the spot, feeling his gaze almost like a physical touch, and when Ram wet his lips with his tongue, he felt goose flesh rise on his arms. 

“Come and sit down,” Ram finally said. 

King did as he was told and just when he thought Ram would join him, he moved away. King was irrationally disappointed for a moment until he realised that Ram had gone to turn off the AC. For a moment he thought it was just so that he wouldn’t feel cold, but when he saw the look on Ram’s face as he sat down opposite him, he wondered whether Ram wasn’t simply planning ahead. 

“Does that mean we get to test my theory?” King asked and grinned around his spoon as he shovelled breakfast into his mouth. 

Ram simply smiled at him and began eating, too. 

“Are you very tired?” he asked when King couldn’t suppress a yawn. 

“Hmm. I don’t know. I suppose I will be, after the food and …”

“And?” Ram asked, the corners of his mouth twitching. 

King decided to play along and licked his lips. As he had suspected, Ram’s eyes flicked to his mouth. He couldn’t help but smile, feeling powerful in an entirely unexpected way. 

“How are you feeling?” he finally asked instead of clarifying what he could possibly mean. 

“Much better. I think I’ll need to go to the gym today.”

King nodded. “Of course.”

“Do you … want to come along?”

King almost choked on his kongee. After he was done coughing, he shook his head. “Absolutely not! Ram, how can you even ask?”

“I thought that maybe you …”

King pushed the bowl away and put his elbows on the table, resting his chin on his hands, staring at him in wonder. “I thought you knew.”

Ram just frowned, although his cheeks and ears were growing adorably pink. 

“I know you knew that you would be able to put me in a position where I might not be able to resist you, but …” he sighed as Ram’s blush deepened. “But I don’t think you know just how much it affected me to see you like this. And now … now that I know what you look like, naked, and what you feel like? God, Ram, I couldn’t.”

King heard Ram’s breath hitch as he inhaled and he stretched out his legs to capture Ram’s between his. 

“Okay, how about this,” King desperately tried to get their minds back to the table, knowing that, if he didn’t, they wouldn’t even make it to the couch this time. “You go to the gym and I meet the boys to break the not so new news about us? Then you won’t have to deal with them and I’ll have told them. And then I come back and pick you up from the gym and we go out for dinner?”

Ram sighed and nodded. “Thank you,” he said, and King wasn’t entirely sure what he was thanking him for, but he smiled and then motioned to Ram’s bowl, silently asking him to eat. He pulled his own bowl towards him and began eating again. 

Ram’s coffee was strong and he could feel the caffeine work its way through his body. He knew he shouldn’t have more than that one cup, in order to avoid a crash, but he enjoyed feeling properly awake now. 

When he was done, he got up and took Ram’s empty bowl and coffee mug, carrying them over to the sink. “Did you unpack?” he asked, wondering if he’d need to rearrange anything to make more room for Ram’s things. He could clear the desk of plants so they could sit next to each other. 

The thought of them studying together in the quiet of their home, and not in public at one of the tables on campus, filled him with an intense happiness. He would be able to just lean over and sneak a kiss and watch Ram scribble his answers down while pretending to be reading. A previously unknown peace settled in his bones when he turned around and found Ram watching him. What an utter miracle to have met him and to have been able to somehow break through his defences and make him his. And to become his.

Ram cocked his head in question and King realised he must have been grinning happily at him. He shook his head at himself and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m just really happy that you are here,” he said, and Ram’s eyes widened. “Oh, I thought, you asked, because …”

He licked his lips and pointedly let his eyes wander down King’s body and King couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Oh, I see. That’s where your mind was.”

“Well, where was yours?” Ram asked back, a challenge clearly audible in his voice. Warmth spread through his body as he leaned against the counter. 

“If I tell you it’ll spoil the mood.”

Ram frowned. He seemed on edge and King wondered what had brought that on. 

“Fine,” he conceded. “I was just fantasising about sharing my desk with you.”

Contrarily to what he had thought he would do, Ram folded his arms on the table and leaned forward, resting his chin on his forearms, looking at him with such a fond expression that it made King self-conscious. He knew he looked at Ram like that sometimes, but having that look returned seemed so much more meaningful. 

He swallowed hard. “I just … thought how much I am going to love sitting next to you, helping you with your homework, here, at the condo, and not on campus. And how I could, you know, just lean over and kiss you and it would be absolutely alright.”

Ram’s smile had widened. “It might be distracting, though,” Ram pointed out. “I mean, you, kissing me, just when I thought of an answer that I would then forget.”

King grinned. “I’d tell you the answer afterwards.”

“Afterwards?” Ram raised a challenging eyebrow and King admitted to himself that there was absolutely no reason to stall any longer. Ram clearly wanted to have sex and, considering that he had already asked for it last night and then King had slept through the morning, he was showing impressive restraint. 

He sighed and then dropped the towel, enjoying how Ram immediately stood up, the chair legs scaping across the floor. He could see him swallow. For another second, they looked at each other, and afterwards King wouldn’t have been able to say who moved first, but a heartbeat later they were in each other’s arms, kissing like they had been waiting weeks for each other. 

When Ram’s hands slid downwards, King realised that their roles were reversed from the morning when he had cooked Ram breakfast for the first time. He was the one who was naked and desperately turned on while Ram, somehow, miraculously, seemed much more in control than he had before. 

King laughed against his lips when Ram steered him towards the couch. And then he fell and Ram fell on top of him, and, for a moment, they simply giggled, still holding on to each other tightly. But then Ram pushed King’s legs apart and settled between them, moving slowly, deliberately, and King realised that he might not last until Ram was undressed. 

“Can I …?” Ram stopped kissing him and looked down before he licked his lips. King moaned in response, unable to even attempt to formulate an answer. 

“After what you said last night, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.” Ram began moving down his body, kissing down his chest and then his stomach. “And I knew you wanted to try, but … I just … couldn’t,” he dipped his tongue into King’s navel and King gasped in surprise, “stop,” he bit his hip bone and King pushed himself up on his elbows to be able to see better, “thinking,” Ram nosed along his lower stomach, his chin nudging his erection, “about doing this to you.” He smiled and looked up at King just as he wrapped his lips around his erection and the only thing that stopped him from coming immediately was the novelty of the feeling. 

He had imagined what it would feel like many times, and he had heard boys talk about it, but nothing came close to not just feeling, but seeing the man of his dreams slowly guiding him into his mouth while still keeping eye contact. Ram wrapped a couple of fingers around him, pressing down slightly, while his elbows pressed his thighs down. When King wanted to arch up, he found that he couldn’t, and the knowledge just added to his arousal. 

Finally, Ram closed his eyes and changed his angle, drawing him deeper into the heat of his mouth before sliding back up. He pressed a kiss to his head and smiled up at King. “Is this okay?”

King nodded, almost panicked, needing Ram to go back to it. But Ram waited, patiently, until King breathed out a “yes.” Only then he seemed satisfied and he moved down again, equally gently and slowly, allowing King to get used to the feeling. Eventually, he realised that Ram could keep doing this for a long time, using not quite enough pressure to drive him over the edge, and he grunted in frustration, slipping one hand into Ram’s hair and pushing a little. 

As if Ram had waited for his signal, he began to use more pressure and to move faster, using his thumb on an upwards stroke whenever he pulled back. King had trouble keeping his eyes open, but he wanted to watch every second of this. And then he could feel himself rushing towards orgasm with an intensity he had not expected nor ever experienced. “Ram! Ram! Ram!” he shouted, falling back onto the couch, letting go of Ram’s hair and tapping his wrist in warning. “Ram!” 

He pulled away on that final shout and wrapped his hand around him, stroking him quickly, smiling up at him. And King lost it. He came with a shout, clutching Ram’s wrist, not sure whether he needed him to stop stroking or to keep going. But Ram stopped moving just when it all became too much. 

King arched up, realising that Ram wasn't holding him down any longer and fascinated with how little control he had of his body then, reacting as if electric shocks were sent through him by the merest of touches. Ram kissed his stomach and inner thigh and each time, another shock ran through him, making him gasp. 

When Ram let go of him, King closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, trying to get his breathing back under control. “P’King,” Ram said gently, the smile audible in his voice. 

“Hmm?” he sighed his answer.

“Can I have my hand back?”

“What?” he opened his eyes to find that he was still holding on to Ram’s wrist like his life depended on it. “Oh, sorry!” he gasped. “I didn’t …” and then he just ran out of words. He let go of him, feeling a little guilty when Ram massaged his wrist. 

“Was that okay?” Ram asked and King was so surprised by his question that he sat up, but then he got distracted when the come on his stomach began sliding south. Ram got up and plucked a few tissues from the box King kept on the kitchen counter. Then he gently wiped his cock and stomach, making King shudder again. 

King shook his head and captured his face between his hands, looking down on him in amazement. “If you think this was only okay then you really need to adjust your opinion of yourself.”

“So, it was … more than okay? Because I haven’t done this a lot and …”

“Oh, shut up!” King laughed and leaned down to kiss him. When he pulled back, he pushed his thumb into Ram’s mouth, acting impulsively, not really thinking about what he was doing. When Ram swirled his tongue around it and smiled, King felt it in his groin and he moaned, amazed by his physical reactions to Ram. 

When he wanted to pull back, Ram trapped his thumb between his teeth, grinning at him, and King realised that he was testing him. 

“Yes, I am not afraid of your teeth. Satisfied?”

Ram let him go and sat back on his heels. “Not really,” he smirked. “But then again I’d just add more weight to your side of the scale.”

King grinned. “Well, I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. Quite the opposite.”

Ram squinted at him. “Are you now sharing my opinion?”

“Which would be?”

“That it has nothing to do with the couch and everything with you?”

“Statistics don’t lie.”

“You are not using the full data set,” Ram pouted. "There's so much missing."

“Such as?”

“Such as the fact that the couch seems to mean that we didn’t make it into the bedroom or the bathroom, which automatically means that chances are that … well, things will happen quickly.”

“So, how about … we make things happen quickly, on the couch, and then we make things happen slowly, in the bedroom?”

Ram looked more amused than he had ever seen him before. When King cocked his head and waggled his eyebrows, Ram laughed out loud and hugged him, pressing kisses against his stomach. King was both surprised and slightly embarrassed when he felt himself stir in reaction. It would only be a matter of time before Ram would notice, so he needed to act quickly. 

He tugged on his arms, much too weak to actually pull him onto the couch, but Ram got the hint and finally got up. Then he began to undress, slowly, teasingly, and King was almost taken aback by how sexy he looked. Well, it wasn’t that he hadn’t thought him sexy before, but the deliberately slow movements, the half-smile when he had pulled his t-shirt off, the way he looked at him from under his eye lashes, apparently now entirely aware of what that did to King and making use of that knowledge, made him seem so in charge that King could only breathlessly stare at him.

Before Ram was naked, King was hard again.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ram's POV
> 
> Smut was demanded. Here be it.

Ram was almost certain that, any minute now, he would wake up and realise that he was still lying next to King in a dark tent, and all of this was a projection of his desires that he couldn’t voice, never mind experience, reflected vividly in a dream. But then King reached out for him and pulled him down onto the couch before he reversed their positions and knelt down in front of the couch, pushing his legs apart. 

He was very flattered that King had recovered that quickly, and still a little amazed that he was able to turn him on like he had. King shuffled a little closer, resting his elbows on his thighs, making him squirm. 

“Okay,” King exhaled noisily, and his breath tickled him, making his cock twitch. Ram huffed and wrapped his fingers around himself, feeling that he would go crazy if he wasn’t touched soon. King narrowed his eyes at him and he pulled his hand back. He was rewarded with a satisfied smile, which made him focus on King’s lips and then the idea that he would see those lips stretch around him in a moment, and he covered his face with both hands, grunting in frustration. 

“I didn’t do anything!” King complained and Ram shook his head. 

“I know!” 

Another huff and Ram thought he would just have to admit defeat concerning the couch statistic. 

“Tell if I’m doing this wrong,” King demanded, sounding serious, and Ram uncovered his face to look at him. He nodded. “Of course. Just, be careful with your teeth. And don’t try to go too far because you will gag and … well, reflex.”

“Okay,” King licked his lips and inhaled deeply before he took his erection into one hand, while the other settled on Ram's hip. When he leaned down, his hair fell into his face and Ram sighed his disappointment. King stopped immediately and looked up at him, and Ram felt bad for stopping him without having meant to. But since he had stopped him, he needed to explain. 

“Your hair. Can you put it up so I can see your face?” he asked, feeling self-conscious all of the sudden and a little silly. 

“Are you playing for time?” King asked, looking serious for a moment before his mask slipped and he grinned. “Alright. Don’t touch yourself,” he pointed a warning finger at Ram’s face and then at his cock and nodded, to underline his point, and Ram bit back a laugh. 

“Promise,” he said, unable to not smile when King got up, his erection bouncing a little, and he went to a drawer in the hall. He pulled out all kinds of strings and rubber bands from it before he found a hair band. Then he pushed his hair back and tied it in a bun at the back of his head. A few strands escaped it, but he ignored them and pushed the drawer closed again. Then he returned to the couch and smiled down on Ram. 

“Could you … put a cushion under your back so you can see better? You know, in case I need help.”

Ram wanted to hug him and never let go again, but at the same time he wanted to look at him like this forever, gloriously naked, entirely at ease with himself, and now with a hairstyle Ram hadn’t know he would love so much he wanted him to wear his hair like that always. 

Instead of saying any of that, he pulled one of the large cushions towards himself and propped himself up. “Okay.”

“Are you going to come before I have done anything?” King asked as he settled back down and Ram could only shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

“Could you try to hold back for a bit?”

Ram stared at him. “I have been holding back _all morning_ , King!”

King grinned, clearly because he hadn’t used the usual honorific, and Ram wondered if he minded. Considering that King called him Ai’Ning a lot, and had done so even before they had become boyfriends, he decided that it was fair game. 

“Just a little longer?” King asked and Ram inhaled deeply. 

“Fine. I’ll try.”

Once again, King took him into his hand, but this time he brushed his thumb across his head and wiped at the precome that had gathered there. Then he stuck his thumb into his mouth, a look of deep concentration on his face. Ram moaned in reaction, making King smile. 

“It’s not … horrible,” King said, looking thoughtfully at his cock and then bent down for a slow, deliberate lick. 

Ram jerked, his hands digging into his thighs. “King …”

“Stop being pushy!” King complained with a grin and Ram tried to glare at him but he knew he was failing spectacularly. 

And then King leaned down and slowly guided him between his lips. A moment later, he stopped and looked up at Ram, raising his eyebrows in question. Ram nodded, trying hard to do what King had asked of him. “Don’t go too far. And don’t overstretch. If it’s uncomfortable, stop. Don’t forget to breathe.”

King made an amused sound and pulled him in deeper until he hit the roof of his mouth. Ram gasped and King pulled back a little, only to repeat the movement and pull him back in. 

“Yeah … this … this is good.” He tried to keep his hips still and pushed against his thighs to stop himself from moving. 

King began moving faster, and Ram knew immediately that he wouldn’t last for another minute of this, but just when he felt like he would tip over, King pulled back and wiped his mouth. Ram closed his eyes for a moment, tightly enough to see stars, before he opened them again. King massaged his jaw a little. “How did you … how did you not get a cramp?” he asked, looking a tad unhappy with himself. 

He needed a few seconds before he could answer, and when King noticed, he immediately looked happier. 

“You need to relax. Don’t force it. Don’t lock up. If your lips cover your teeth a little, and you use your tongue to cover your bottom teeth, too, you won’t have to worry about hurting me.”

“But, your tongue was … doing other things.” King complained and Ram had to chuckle. 

“Cover the bases first?”

“Fine,” he sighed and then licked his lips before he pulled him back into his mouth. At first, he repeated what he had already done, but then he added a little pressure and suction and Ram barely managed to warn King before he came. King held him in his hand, watching him come as if he was watching a science experiment, and it shouldn’t have been sexy, but Ram could barely stand to look at him like this, his lips wet with saliva and slightly swollen, tears in his eyelashes and his cheeks adorably reddened. 

He allowed himself a few seconds in which he just breathed and stared at King before he sat up and kissed him hard. King moaned against his lips and Ram slid down from the couch and sat in King’s lap, one hand taking hold of him while he continued kissing him. It didn’t take long until King gasped, his eyes closed and his mouth slack. Ram watched him as he stroked him faster, still high from his own orgasm, as King clutched at his shoulders, his fingers digging almost painfully into his skin. 

When King came, Ram caught his gasps in a kiss, his left hand on his cheek, his thumb stroking his skin gently. And King eventually recovered enough to let go of his shoulders and he took his face between his hands and began kissing him back in earnest. 

When the adrenaline faded, their kisses became gentler and slower and eventually King hugged him close and Ram wrapped his arms around him, too. He wasn’t sure how long they had sat like that when King told him that his legs were starting to fall asleep. 

Ram used the couch behind him to push himself up, but just as he wanted to sit down on it, he realised that he probably shouldn’t, considering that they were both sticky with come. 

He held out his hand to King took hold of it, but not in a way that Ram could pull him up, but in an intimate, gentle way that created a connection between them that was entirely different from their full body hug earlier. The gentle touch set off a kaleidoscope of butterflies in Ram’s stomach, and as he looked at him, he knew that King felt the same. Finally, King exhaled loudly and properly clasped his hand and Ram pulled, almost falling over when King didn’t really help him. 

He looked tired, now that he had calmed down. Maybe they should just go back to bed and cuddle for a bit until King would go out with his friends. While he had been desperate to get to the gym earlier, he now felt that he would enjoy going, but he did no longer feel that nervous energy that he could usually only get rid of by working out. 

He half pulled, half pushed King into the bathroom and turned on the shower, standing under the cold water until it had warmed up before he switched places with King. 

“Oh, I forgot about the shower gel.”

King smiled. “We have lube now,” he argued and poured shower gel into his hand before he started washing Ram’s stomach. 

“Hmm. We do.”

“Wait,” King stopped moving and looked at him as if he had only just remembered something important. 

“What?” Ram asked, confused by King’s sudden shift in behaviour.

“You said that you haven’t given a lot of blowjobs?”

Ram felt his cheeks grow warm, though he wasn’t entirely sure why. “Yes?”

“So, what have you done? And, I mean, I’m not actually able to judge, and I know it didn’t take very long, but … it felt amazing. So, subjectively speaking, you are quite good at it.”

Ram began washing himself, since King hadn’t gone back to it, and shrugged. “For some reason, I ended up on the receiving end quite a bit.”

King watched him quietly as he washed off the final traces of their orgasms and soap. “For … some reason?” he finally asked, sounding as if Ram should somehow know why it sounded sarcastic. 

“It’s not that I … chose it, necessarily. I’m not … opposed, but …”

King huffed. “Ram,” he said, sounding grave, which was a feat, considering the noise of the running water. “Have you, by any chance, looked at yourself?”

Ram frowned. And then he looked down on himself. And then he looked back up to find King shaking his head at him, full of wonder.

“Fuck, Ram. You are incredible! I mean, you show up in a club in those leather pants and that shirt and you pick someone up and you wonder why they want to pleasure you?”

“I usually offered, but …” 

King laughed and switched off the water. “You really don’t know, do you?”

“What?” Ram asked, wondering why he sounded defensive. 

King huffed and pressed his tongue against his lower lip, shaking his head. Finally, he spoke. “So, I imagine you would just be your usual self, at a club, silent, neutral, maybe have a drink, but you’d have your ring on and your bracelet and your necklace and then there’s your tattoos that would be visible through the shirt, maybe more so if you were dancing and you would get a little sweaty and you might not button it up all the way,” he drew his index finger along his neck and down his chest. “And then you’d make eye contact with someone, and that is all it would take.”

Ram nodded. “But I was drunk, most of the time.”

“That doesn’t mean that you were out of control, though, does it?”

Ram shook his head and King nodded, as if he had known. 

“Anyone in their right mind would try to see that expression turn into a different one.”

Ram swallowed hard. He hadn’t considered that at all, but what was more important was that King was admitting something about his own needs to him. He remembered those times when King had reacted in a disproportionally excited manner when he had spoken to him. The way he had stared at him with wide eyes when he had smiled. God, he had been so stupid not to see it. And he realised how much power King was giving him just then. 

Not all the sex he had had had been good. There had been times when he had pretended to enjoy it when he hadn’t really. But he had learned quickly that looking like he did and actually enjoying it tended to have the same effect on his partners. And he hadn’t once considered to put on an act for King, but suddenly it seemed incredibly tempting. And maybe, just maybe, it would serve him to even out the scales on the couch statistic. 

He tried to bite back a grin, but King had watched him carefully and kissed him soundly on the lips. 

“And you are gorgeous, so of course anyone would want to get a closer look at your tattoos and your abs and … well,” King wrapped his fingers around his cock and Ram hissed.

“Well, thank you,” he finally said, a little surprised by how meek he sounded. King just laughed and kissed him again. “I should call you pretty boy instead of cool boy.”

“Please don’t!” Ram pushed him away, but King simply sidestepped him and then hugged him from behind. 

“What else have you done?” He pushed his hips against Ram’s arse suggestively and Ram gasped. 

“Yes,” he murmured and pushed back a little. 

“Hmm,” King let go of him and came to stand in front of Ram again for a moment before he turned his back and leaned against him, pulling Ram’s arms against his back and sticking out his arse. Ram had to giggle, because King was playful and yet earnest and he quite enjoyed how he was trying to gather information without turning it into an uncomfortable and self-conscious conversation. 

“Hmm?” King hummed his question and Ram kissed his shoulder. 

“Yes. More often.”

“What do you prefer?”

Ram slid his hands across his chest and down, trapping his arms at his hips. Then he pressed one hand against his stomach just below his navel and pulled, grunting with the sudden flash of arousal that the simple act ignited in him. 

“Hmm, I see. Anything else?”

Ram huffed. “The occasional hand job,” he kissed King’s neck. 

“Occasional?” King chuckled and turned around in his arms. 

Ram nodded. 

“You or them?”

He leaned his forehead against King’s shoulder, trying not to remember his escapades too vividly even as he realised that hearing about them was a turn on for King. 

“Me,” he finally admitted and King laughed. 

“Did you always come so quickly?”

“No!” he protested. “That’s … you.”

“Thank you.”

“You finally take the compliment,” Ram chuckled. 

But then King sobered up a little. “Does it hurt?”

Ram chewed on his lips. The alcohol had always helped, but the mornings often hadn’t been very pleasant. 

“Sometimes. If I wasn’t prepared properly.”

“I just … imagine that it feels weird.”

Ram smiled. “It does. But once you get used to it, it’s anything but. It can be really good, but if you …”

“No!” King shook his head. “I told you, I want to try. It’s just that … I’m afraid I might not like it.”

“Then we do something else,” Ram took his face between his hands. “Please don’t do anything just because you think that I expect it of you.”

“Could I try, you know, to do it to you?”

Ram nodded and kissed him. “Anything you want.”

“How are you so wise about this. I’m two years older than you!” 

“You’re book smart. I’m not.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment or an insult.”

Ram smirked. “You can take that in whichever way you want.”

King crinkled his nose. “Compliment, then.”

Ram nodded. “I got drunk, laid and tattoos. You got all perfect grades.”

“I did get drunk, occasionally,” King tried to argue and Ram had to bite back a laugh. “Yes, yes you did. And then you kissed me.”

“And almost got laid.”

This time, Ram couldn’t stop himself from laughing, but he did recall vividly how desperately relieved they both had been and how King had cried in his arms. King must have read the shift in his emotions, because he wrapped his arms around him and held him tightly. 

“Okay, enough of this,” Ram decided and pulled back. “You go back to bed and I …”

“Please come to bed with me?”

“Are you serious?”

“Just for a couple of hours?”

“To sleep.”

“Hmm, yes. I promise.”

Ram chuckled. “But _I_ can’t make that promise,” he said with a wink as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel before walking out of the bathroom dripping wet.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> King's POV

King woke up when Ram detached himself from him. He had fallen asleep almost immediately after Ram had pulled him against his chest. Now he could feel him pull back carefully, probably trying hard not to wake him up, and King felt slightly guilty that he had woken up despite Ram’s efforts. He turned around and Ram stopped moving. 

“I’m sorry,” Ram whispered and King shook his head and raised his chin. Ram kissed him gently. “I need the bathroom and then I think I’ll go to the gym.”

“Hey Ram,” King asked before Ram had gotten off the bed. “Are you alright?”

“Hmm?”

King exhaled slowly. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable, talking about your past. I know you are not proud of what happened and I … I didn’t mean to make you remember. I’m sorry if it seemed like I’m trying to use your experiences as a turn on when they weren’t, for you.”

He was relieved when Ram smiled widely. “Actually, it’s the first time I have not felt embarrassed about it,” he said and then leaned over to kiss him. “So yes, I think I am okay.”

“I’m glad.”

Ram nodded and kissed him one last time before he left the bed. When he returned from the bathroom, he got dressed in his gym clothes and packed a fresh set of clothes to take along with him. 

“Call me when you are done?” King asked, not yet ready to get out of bed, but enjoying watching Ram move around in his bedroom. No. Their bedroom. King squeezed his pillow tightly, trying not to make an embarrassing sound while he felt like he would burst with happiness. 

“If you need more time with your friends, don’t worry about me, okay? I’ll find something to do,” Ram said as he stood in the door. 

King scrunched up in face. “Is this the being reasonable part about a relationship? The one where you should spend time with your friends?”

Ram laughed and nodded. “Just take your own advice. It wasn’t bad advice, actually. It just … wasn’t the right time when you gave it.”

“Hmm, fine,” King knew he was being ridiculous, but he would be lying to himself if he did not already miss Ram, even before he had left. 

“I’ll text you, if that helps?” Ram suggested and King admitted defeat. 

“No, it’s fine. I’m being stupid. You go and enjoy your workout.”

He rolled out of bed once Ram had gone. How strange it seemed to be alone in the condo now, while his presence still lingered. His bags were stacked by the door, and King realised that Ram hasn’t unpacked yet. He had probably been afraid to wake him up this morning, considerate as he was. King got dressed and went into the kitchen, where he found a tumbler with a post-it stuck to it. “Drink me!”

He smiled as he went through his flat, misting his plants, sipping from his coffee. He had texted Boss and Bohn to meet him at the café they had frequented when they were in their first year. Bohn immediately responded with a video of himself, waggling his eyebrows, and Boss texted back that he should probably prepare for a review session, because he had just barely passed his exam. 

_“Results are in?”_

The reply came instantly. _“King of Kings, you don’t even have to check yours.”_

And then, _“I thought that was why you wanted to get together, to celebrate.”_

 _“Erm, I guess.”_ he texted back.

Nevertheless, he sat down on the couch to check his results. Ram had called him book smart, and he hadn’t been wrong. But it did not mean that he always trusted himself to get everything right in a test, never mind the midterm exams. He felt himself blush when he saw his score. 

_“You better pay for all of our drinks today.”_

_“Fine.”_

_“Are you bringing the boyfriend?”_

King stared at the text. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to ask. Then he decided on a simple _“No.”_

He put his phone into his pocket and got his bag, closing the windows he had opened in the bedroom and the living room to let in some air, and left the condo. He took a bus downtown, feeling a little light headed. He was still tired, but happy about his result while simultaneously worrying about Ram’s. And, if he was honest with himself, he worried about Boss, too. He needed to start taking this seriously if he wanted to graduate with any chance for a good job. 

They were already there when he got to the café, and he saw that they had ordered the fancy milkshakes, not the ones they usually drank. Boss grinned widely at him. “100%?” he asked immediately, and King shrugged. “Hmm.”

“Okay, drinks are definitely on you,” he laughed. 

“How did everyone else do?” King asked as he sat down. Bohn went to the bar to order for him. 

“80%,” Mek said, looking more relaxed than King had seen him on any day in the last six months. 

“That’s great! Well done!”

“Thank you.”

“Tee?”

“87%.” 

“Happy?”

“Hmm, it’s alright. I have all the extracurriculars to add to my score later on.”

“I also have extracurriculars but I won’t get any additional credit for that,” Boss sighed and snuggled up to Mek.

King chuckled and ruffled his hair. “Maybe if you actually put the work in sometimes …”

Boss pouted and then pretended to slap his arm. “And now I feel bad asking you for help. You won’t have any time for me, because you tutor your lover.”

King felt himself blush and he was glad when Bohn handed him an espresso milkshake. He should probably stop consuming caffeine after this, because otherwise he’d be jittery all day. 

“Where is he, anyway?” Boss asked, nodding in King’s general direction. 

“At the gym,” King sighed and busied himself with his shake. When he glanced at Boss again, he could see him grin widely. “What?”

“Nothing, nothing,” he went from snuggling to actually sitting in Mek’s lap. Bohn rolled his eyes and Tee seemed to ignore them altogether. “Is he hot?” Boss finally asked and earned a slap on his shoulder for it from Mek. “What? It’s a simple question.”

King knew his cheeks were burning, but he would only encourage Boss if he lied. So, he nodded, pretending to be unaffected by it. 

“Thought so. Quiet men seem to be,” he grinned up at Mek and King had to laugh. 

“Oh, I see.”

“Everything okay?” Bohn asked after Boss, Mek and Tee had started to talk about going out to a bar later on, and disagreeing on where they should go. 

“Hmm, yes. It was a bit silly of me to think I’d come here and break the news, huh?”

Bohn laughed and patted his shoulder. “Tee said he met your sister a while ago, and Ram was with her, and she told him that you and Ram were together.”

“Oh god, Kumfah!” King buried his face in his hands. 

Bohn leaned in closer. “And the living situation?” he asked, quietly enough so only King could hear him. He was truly grateful for Bohn’s consideration. He seemed to have matured a great deal over the last few weeks. 

“Oh, I asked him to move in with me, properly, and he said yes. We got some of his things from his parents yesterday.”

Bohn smiled widely at him, but King could see the sadness in his eyes. 

“Did Duen talk to you?” he asked, sensing that Bohn needed to talk about it. 

“I didn’t see him yesterday after he left.”

“And you didn’t talk on the phone?”

“No. I think he spent the evening with his family, and if he got the result today …”

“You didn’t even ask him?”

“No, I … I’m sure he did really well.”

“Wait, did he call you and you didn’t answer? What score did you get?”

“Just 78%.”

“And you’re embarrassed to tell him?”

Bohn scowled and King shook his head. “I cannot believe you. I thought you had this?”

“I didn’t concentrate enough lately.”

“Bohn, you brought a different girl to nap in our classroom every week all year, until you met Duen.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

“So, pulling girls still left you with enough mental space to pay attention to class, but then Duen comes along and you …”

“Don’t tell him. He’ll break up with me.”

King sighed and leaned back in his chair. “You should talk to him. I don’t think he’ll care much about your score. I think he had other things to talk about.”

“What other … oh. What? Did he say something?”

“He talked to Ram a lot yesterday. But,” he leaned in closer, noticing Boss looking in his direction as if he had realised that relationship talk was going on at the table, and, being the gossip he was, he wanted in on the news. He scowled at King when he faced Bohn, effectively hiding from Boss. 

“He just said that he thought that maybe you would … I don’t know … take a first step? I think he thought that, because he offered to spend the night with you, you would see that he wanted you to … I don’t know what he wanted. I don’t know if he knows. But he said he had taken the initiative and you just kept your distance, as always, which, by the way, is great. I don’t care what Duen thinks you should have done, but I just want you to know that I am very proud of you for not pushing him.”

“So, he wanted me to … what, cuddle? Kiss him?”

“I think Ram told him that he should tell you what he wants from you. So, maybe you should take the call, next time?”

Bohn shook his head and squeezed his shoulder. “I’ll call him right now,” he said and walked outside. King sighed and watched him go. Then he pulled out his own phone to see if Ram had texted him, and he almost dropped it into his milkshake when he opened the message he had received from him. 

Ram had sent him a selfie. He had no shirt on and his skin was gleaming with sweat. His hair was dishevelled and while he seemed to have attempted to keep his expression neutral, his eyes were sparkling. King looked at the photo, wondering whether Ram had decided to work out topless today, and he hated that he immediately pictured him in a room full of people who stole glances at him as he lifted weights and tired himself out boxing. 

“Hey, King, what’s wrong?” Boss leaned forward, his eyes narrowed, and then he stole the phone from King so quickly that he didn’t have a chance to pull it away from him. 

The look on Boss’s face as he saw the photo was priceless, though, so King decided not to be upset about the invasion of privacy. “When I asked, I did not expect visual proof,” Boss said, looking up at King with something like reverence. King also noticed that Mek’s eyebrows has risen, though he tried to pretend that he hadn’t looked at the screen, and King felt something like pride settle in his chest. He wasn’t sure why, but somehow it was very flattering to know that his friends found Ram attractive as well. Tee leaned over the table to look, too, and then shrugged. 

“We all saw that when he was fighting Bohn. I don’t see what’s special about it.”

“This is different, though,” Boss argued and handed King his phone back. “He’s flirting now. With our King! I’m so proud of you, daddy,” he chuckled and petted King’s wrist. Mek just shook his head, grinning.

“So, how are things? You kind of just left after camp …” Boss seemed genuinely concerned, but also entirely certain that they had somehow resolved the issue. Maybe that was because he clearly had resolved whatever issue had still hung between him and Mek. 

“I was being stupid,” King admitted, shrugging. “I though he didn’t … I don’t know.”

“You were very, very drunk,” Boss pointed out and King scowled at him. 

“So were you!”

“We all heard you yell, though,” Boss said, looking at King as if he felt sorry for him. “And cry.”

“Okay, yes, I was drunk.”

“And then you did not even hug him when you went to stay with your grandma? How cold hearted of you. Nong must have been heartbroken.”

King kicked him under the table. “I wasn’t sure how much he remembered.”

“That is the worst excuse I ever heard,” Boss shook his head and then stole King’s milkshake, taking a long sip. “You should have seen him on the bus. He just … didn’t seem okay.”

“What?” King hadn’t once thought about asking Ram about the bus ride back to Bangkok. 

“Well, he was sitting by himself and he didn’t even talk to his friends. He just sat there, for eight hours, staring out of the window.”

“Well, that makes me feel like shit now, thank you,” he said sarcastically, but he knew that, if he asked Ram about it, he would brush it off.

“But, I guess he forgave you, huh?”

“We’re fine. I told you.”

Boss nodded wistfully, and just as he opened his mouth again to speak, Bohn walked back in. “I have to go. Sorry guys, I’ll see you next week.”

“What?” 

“Where are you going?”

“Why are you leaving already?”

Tee, Boss and Mek had spoken simultaneously, but Bohn simply shook his head. 

“Urgent business. Can’t wait.” Then he hugged King from behind, which he had never done in his life, not once, and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Thank you,” he whispered and then he was gone. 

“What the …” Boss stared at him, shaking his head. “What just happened?”

King shrugged. “I didn’t even do anything,” he lied, smiling when he saw Bohn flag down a cab. His car was probably parked too far away and he really wanted to get to Duen. 

“Anyway, so, you and the hot kid are now an item,” Boss summarized his thoughts and Tee rolled his eyes. 

“And you and Mek are …”

“As good as married,” Boss grinned and pressed a kiss to Mek’s arm that he had flung across his chest. 

“Glad you two worked it out,” King smiled at Mek who blushed a little. 

“And Tee, how are you doing?”

“I guess I’ll stop tutoring students and concentrate on volunteer work a bit more.”

“Not the worst idea you ever had.”

“But you should stop trying to blackmail us to help you!” Boss remarked with an arched eyebrow. “King won’t always be there to save your ass.”

“Ha, I have a plan,” Tee grinned. “If Ram is your boyfriend now and Duen is with Bohn, then their friends can always come and help, and they can bring more people.”

“How are you going to sell that to them?”

“Just friends helping out friends. And I could advertise it as an opportunity for matchmaking. I mean, you met Ram at a meeting, no?”

King had to smile, because he had suspected that Tee believed that King had noticed Ram for the first time at the initial meeting. “Actually, we met before. I just didn’t get the chance to ask his name.”

Tee sighed. “Some embellishment, then. Nobody needs to know the true story. _Love at first volunteer meetup_ could be quite a success. 

King chuckled. “Fine, if it helps you get people to come along, tell that fairy tale.”

He was just about to ask what project was planned for the coming term when he received another text. _“I’m done now. I’ll be in the café next to the gym. I’ll get a book or something. You don’t have to hurry."_ A moment later, Ram sent a photo which made King’s heart beat faster. Ram was freshly showered, his hair a wet mess and his smile bright. He looked a little exhausted, but also happy, and King couldn’t believe that he wasn’t there to look at him like that, and to rub his hair dry with a towel and to kiss those lips and …

“Hey, ThanThep, snap out of it!” Boss waved his hand in front of his face and King redirected his focus. “Are you going to come out with us?”

King sighed. “I don’t think so. We have some unpacking to do.”

“Unpacking?”

“Ram brought a few things over so I have to rearrange my wardrobe a little and …”

“Wait, he moved in with you?”

King nodded. 

“After two days?”

“Three,” King shot back and Boss laughed. “Well, actually, he’s been living with me since before the trip.”

“Ah, so that is why you arrived together!” Tee shook his index finger at him. “I knew something was fishy.”

“It wasn’t because of … us, though,” King wasn’t sure how much he should say. “Ram couldn’t stay with his family, and I offered that he could stay with me for a couple of days.”

“You offered. Selflessly, I’m sure.”

He hit Boss’s arm and pulled a face. “I did, actually. He didn’t have anywhere to go and he had his dogs with him and …”

“His dogs? Really?” Mek asked, truly surprised. “And you took them to your condo?”

King nodded. “He didn’t have anywhere else to go.”

“Ugh, you are so annoying,” Boss shook his head even as he squeezed King’s hand. 

“So, yeah, I’m not going out with you guys.”

“Fine, be domestic and sweet and make us feel single,” Boss sighed, and Mek pushed his off his lap. 

“Honestly, Mek,” King shook his head. “I don’t know how you can stand it.”

Mek chuckled. “He’s lucky he’s cute,” he shrugged and ruffled Boss’s hair. 

“Oi, stop babying me.”

King’s phone chimed again. Another photo. Ram in the locker room, dressed, wearing one of King’s t-shirts. _“Smells of you.”_

King sighed. “Would you be very angry if I left?” he asked, knowing that he wouldn’t possibly be able to sit still any longer knowing that Ram was sitting around somewhere, waiting for him. 

“Fine, abandon your friends, like Bohn did. This is how the fellowship falls apart.”

King shook his head. “Next time, we get them to come, too.”

He went to the bar and paid for everyone’s drinks, just as Boss had demanded, before he waved his good byes and left the café, anxious to be close to Ram again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter to go before this story ends.


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is - the final chapter. I cannot believe this turned into a 26-chapter fic haha. But now I feel like I've written them a solution for most of the issues that the book didn't resolve for them. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading and leaving kudos and leaving comments. They were much appeciated! <3
> 
> Oh, one last warning: There's a bit of angst in this, but, as I promised right from the beginning, this has a happy ending.
> 
> King's POV

_“I’m on my way.”_ He texted him as he waited for the bus, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He knew he was being ridiculous, but he felt that having waited so long – too long – to tell Ram how he felt, being separated from him seemed wrong. They would find a balance eventually, but after those pictures Ram had sent him, it seemed like Ram wasn’t opposed to luring him away from his friends, even if he had said something else. 

King pouted and took a selfie. He sent it without any explanation. 

_“Cute.”_ Ram texted back. 

_“Lonely!”_ King wrote back.

The next text was a photo of Ram staring into the camera, one eyebrow raised in clear judgement.

King stuck out his tongue and sent a photo of that. 

Ram didn’t answer and he went back to bouncing. It could only have been ten minutes, but to King it felt like an hour had passed when the bus finally arrived. He paid his fare and sat down, sighing heavily. Then he put his earbuds in and listened to music while staring out of the window. He wondered if Ram had already checked his exam results. He probably would have told him if he had. But what if he was sending cute photos of himself to distract him from asking? 

King shook his head at himself. He needed to stop overthinking this. His fingers drummed along to the rhythm of the song and when the stop came up, he felt much calmer. The only worry he now had was whether he could risk kissing Ram in public or whether he would have to wait until they were home. 

He walked quickly, checking the location of the café again, just to make sure to find the right place, and was happy to see that it was just around the corner. When he rounded it, he could see Ram thought the large front window of the cafe. He looked at someone who appeared to have just walked in and then he suddenly rose, the expression on his face stony. 

King moved a little to the side until a reflection in the window that had obscured his view shifted and he could see that it was Ram’s dad. He stopped dead in his tracks. 

Ram’s hands were balled into fists, but when his father raised both hands above his shoulders Ram stretched his fingers out again. He could see that Ram’s father was speaking, and then, stepping closer, looked around nervously, but Ram jerked his head and his father stopped moving. 

King moved a little closer to the window, unsure of what to do. He did not want to interrupt them, but what if Ram felt trapped? The way they stood now he couldn’t get out of the café without having to walk directly past him. 

_“Do you need help?”_ he texted, and he could see the screen of Ram’s phone light up for a moment before it went dark again. Ram hadn’t seen it. 

Ram stood stock still, staring at his father, the corners of his mouth drawn down and the tendons in his neck strained. He looked like he was barely holding it together. But then his father said something that he clearly hadn't expected and he fell back in his chair, still looking up at him. Then he shook his head, slowly, and he frowned, as if he couldn’t make sense of what he had heard. 

King prayed that it wasn’t bad news. He took another step forward. If Ram would turn his head, he would see him right outside. King wasn’t sure whether Ram would want him to witness this, but he couldn’t walk away, could he? He watched, breathlessly, as Ram seemed to work through whatever his father had just told him. 

While his father began speaking again, Ram looked down on his hands in his lap. He looked exhausted all of the sudden and King had to hold himself back from barging in and pulling Ram out of there. 

When he looked back up, tears slipped down his cheeks and fell from his chin. King inhaled deeply, wanting to call Ram to ask if he could help him while simultaneously wanting to hurt Ram’s father for hurting Ram. He was shocked by the intensity of that urge and forced himself to calm down. 

Things hadn’t escalated and Ram’s father seemed to be calm and collected. From the way he spoke, he did not seem to have raised his voice, even. When he took a step towards Ram, he did not react defensively. King waited with bated breath until he stood an arm’s length away from Ram. 

He was just about to reach out and touch his shoulder when Ram sobbed, and he wavered, pulling his hand away from the shaking shoulder. King took another step towards the window and Ram’s father noticed him. He looked at him with kind eyes, which surprised King more than anything. He tried to frown, but he knew the surprise was plainly visible on his face. When Ram’s father said something, Ram’s head jerked around and he looked at King, leaning forward to touch the window. 

King automatically reached out to press his own hand against the glass for a second, but then Ram closed his eyes and fresh tears fell and King couldn’t hold back any longer. He rushed into the café, apologising to the waitress who seemed already baffled at what was happening, and pushed his way past Ram’s father. He knelt down in front of Ram, taking one hand in his while he used the other to wipe away the tears on his face. 

“Are you alright?”

Ram let himself fall forward and King caught him in his arms, rubbing his back as he shook with silent sobs. 

Even as he held Ram, he looked back over his shoulder, glaring at Ram’s father, who probably had no idea who he was and where he had come from. “Please leave,” he asked, sounding more intimidated than he had thought he would. His father had the same wide shoulders as his son. He could see how Ram might have gotten into boxing. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, and King realised that he had been crying, too. 

Ram lifted his head from King’s arm and looked at him, his eyes red. Then he nodded at his father before wiping his face and hugging King properly, slipping from the chair and kneeling on the floor. 

“Ram,” King kissed his cheek. “Come on, we should go outside.”

Ram nodded and inhaled shakily before he moved back a little. King heard the door fall closed and he turned around to see Ram’s father slowly walk away. He looked defeated, as if he had lost a fight. Ram sniffed and pulled himself up. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologised, using a few napkins to wipe his face. 

“No, don’t be. Just … do you need anything? Some water?”

Ram shook his head. “Take me home?”

King nodded. “Of course.”

Ram picked up his phone from the table and looked at it. “I didn’t see. I’m sorry,” he whispered when he saw the push notification for King’s text.

“You were busy …” King said and took the phone from him, pushing it into his back pocket. Then he shouldered Ram’s gym bag and walked to the door, holding it open for Ram.

“I’m sorry,” he apologised to the waitress, who looked both worried and relieved that they were about to leave. 

Outside, Ram stopped for a moment, inhaling deeply. Then he set off in the direction of King’s condo. King followed him, two paces behind, worrying his lip. Ram hadn’t said a word about what had happened and King did not want to pry, but he really wanted to know what his father had told him. 

When they reached the condo, Ram went straight into the bathroom and began splashing his face with cold water over the sink, swallowing down handfuls of it, too. King stood in the door, watching him, feeling his heart break for him. When Ram finally turned off the water and rubbed his face with a towel, he dared to move closer to him. 

Ram simply fell into his arms and let himself be held a little longer. It seemed like half a lifetime until he spoke. 

“Mum told him about us,” he said, pressing his face against King’s neck. “She told him not to come and see me, but he …” Ram began to cry again and King held him tightly. “He said he couldn’t forgive himself for missing the first time I brought my boyfriend home to meet them.” Ram was sobbing again, but King began to understand that Ram’s tears weren’t tears of anger and disappointment. He ran his hands up and down Ram’s back until he had calmed down again. 

“He said he regrets hurting mum, but he regrets even more that I did not want to take you to meet him.”

King blew out his breath. “That’s … a lot.”

Ram nodded. “I don’t know what to think. What to feel.”

King inhaled deeply and squeezed even more tightly – tightly enough for Ram to giggle when something in his back cracked. “Sorry,” King apologised and Ram shook his head and kissed him. 

King tasted salt, but he was relieved that some of the tension had finally left Ram’s body. 

“Give it time?”

Ram nodded. 

“Come on. I’ve been wanting to cuddle you since you sent that first photo earlier.”

Ram huffed. “I expected a photo back.”

“I couldn’t. They would have _dragged_ me.”

“No. They would have helped you take one.”

“Boss saw the photo. Mek, too.”

“What?”

“He stole my phone.”

Ram snorted. “So, does that mean I can’t trust you with sexy selfies?”

King sighed dramatically and pulled him down onto the couch, wrapping one leg around Ram’s hip. “They agreed that you are hot.”

“Oh, I’m flattered,” Ram said sarcastically. 

“They all knew.”

“Tee saw me, the day your sister took me home.”

“Hmm, yes, Bohn said something about that. Apparently, she told Tee that we were together.”

“Honestly, what is wrong with your sister?” Ram asked, shaking his head and King could only shrug. 

“I told Bohn to call Duen.”

“Oh, good. Thank you. He’ll appreciate that.”

King nodded. “I wish they would just talk to each other instead of hoping the other will read their mind.”

Ram frowned at him. “Speaking from experience?”

King chuckled and kissed him. “We weren’t that bad. And we weren’t together.” 

“Hmm,” Ram sighed and closed his eyes.

“Ai’Ning?” King finally dared to ask. “Did you check your result?”

“Hmm?” Ram blinked at him, uncomprehending.

“Midterms?”

“Oh, did we get them today?”

King nodded. 

“Did you get 100%?” Ram asked, smiling. “Or did I distract you sufficiently to do worse?”

King shook his head. “You’ll have to try harder next time.”

Ram laughed and King felt another weight lifted off his chest. He still felt the weight of Ram’s tears in his heart, but he slowly understood that Ram was heartbroken for the loss his father had experienced, and for which his father was entirely responsible. The fact that Ram had broken down like this in empathy for his father’s guilt made him love him more than he could say, but it also hurt him, too. It was so easy to hurt Ram – too easy – and he prayed that he would never be the reason for such pain. 

“Can I have my phone back so I can check?” Ram finally asked and when King moved to pull it out of his pocket, Ram stopped his hand with a gleam in his eyes. Then he reached around King to push his right hand into his back pocket. He pressed down fairly hard when he pulled out the phone and unlocked it with his left hand while he slipped his right hand back into the pocket, squeezing. 

King grunted and Ram squeezed again as he opened an app on his screen, pretending to be unaffected. “What do you want to eat?” Ram asked, and King looked at him in surprise. 

“You are supposed to check your result.”

“Hmm,” Ram shrugged and pulled his hand out of his pocket only to worm it under the waistband of King’s jeans. “In a minute.”

“Ram!”

“We wanted to go out, and now we aren’t, because of me, so I’m ordering food.”

“Fine. Whatever you like, I’ll eat.”

Ram smiled sweetly at him and typed even as he plunged his hand deeper into King’s jeans. So, King decided that if Ram got to play, so would he. Trying to ignore how red and puffy Ram’s eyes were from crying, he pushed forward and kissed him, causing Ram to lift the phone a little higher so he could still see the screen. 

King growled and bit his chin, making Ram chuckle, and then moved slowly down his neck. He was just about to push his shirt up to his chest when Ram sighed. “Okay, done. Now, give me some space to check my results.”

King laughed and pushed Ram down on the couch by his shoulders. “I … I’m supposed to give you some space?”

“Hmm. I can’t concentrate,” Ram pouted and King twisted his neck to glare at Ram’s hand on his arse. He would be lying if he didn’t enjoy the visual of the outline of Ram’s hand under his jeans. 

“Ram.”

“King?” Ram asked back, raising an eyebrow, and King laughed and kissed him. “Is that where we are now?”

Ram raised his chin a little so he could look down on King, even though he was the one pressed to the couch. “Hmm. I just like your name naked.”

King laughed again and then rolled off him, mindful not to make Ram twist his arm too much. “Is it really necessary for you to keep your hand there?”

“Hmm, safety blanket. I’ll just hold on to it so I don’t get scared of checking my results.”

“I’m sure you did well.”

“I appreciate your misplaced trust in me.”

“Come on, you worked so hard!”

“I was also a little distracted.”

“Hmm. So was I and …”

“Oh, shut up. You’ve had two more years to concentrate before getting distracted.”

“How do you know I wasn’t distracted before?” King asked, already knowing it was futile.

“Your hand and the internet,” Ram smiled sweetly and King couldn’t help but giggle. 

“Fair enough. But can you do it already? The suspense is killing me!”

“Fine,” Ram sighed and pulled his hand out of King’s jeans, leaving him a little disappointed, despite it all. Then he moved to lie on his stomach, putting the phone down between them, inviting King to look at the screen.

King was moved once again by his trust and he kissed his shoulder before pressing himself against his side, throwing one arm across his back. 

Ram opened the email with the link and then typed his student number and name into the form. He inhaled deeply before he pressed the search button.

King held his breath as the page loaded and finally showed Ram’s transcript of records. His index finger shook a little as he scrolled down to the bottom of the page. Then his breath escaped him in a surprised yelp. “What?”

King leaned in closer to see the score. _96%._

“Fuck!” He said passionately, and Ram stared at him, his face positively glowing. 

“That must be a mistake!” Ram finally said, checking the list again. “I’ve never … I … No!” He refreshed the page and scrolled down again. The same number appeared. 

“P’King,” Ram said, his voice awed, and King realised that leaving out the honorific really was a choice, because using it seemed to come naturally to Ram. “I … I’ve never gotten … I’ve never even been … P’King!”

King laughed and pulled him back into his arms. “I’m very, very proud of you, Ram Vera,” he said. “You were distracted and you still got an almost perfect grade.”

“Thanks to you!” Ram said, staring at him with wide eyes. King was almost certain he would start crying again, but this time he wasn’t afraid of his tears. 

“No. You worked so hard. You put the work in.”

“No!” Ram argued. “You made me sit down and listen to you.”

“And you listened.”

“But you explained it to me like none of the professors could.”

“I’m glad it helped you understand.”

“And I had all of your notes. And I had your pencil.”

King smiled. “The spell only works if the receiver believes in it.”

Ram sighed and then wrapped his arms tightly around King. “Thank you!”

“Anytime.”

“I have to tell mum. She’ll be so excited!”

“Yes, she will be.”

Ram dialled her number and made himself comfortable in King’s arms. “Mum? Hi, it’s me.” He was speaking English, but King guessed that Ram had figured out by now that he was almost fluent. He was still surprised he had not questioned him when he had asked about a translation for the song lyrics, back on the bus when everything had been so different. 

King couldn’t hear what she said, but he felt Ram tense in his arms and he wanted to take the phone away from him. He could imagine that she was speaking about Ram’s dad. 

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Ram finally said and exhaled shakily. “Mum, we got the exam scores today and I got 96%! Yes, I know. I know. No, I double checked. It’s really …” he laughed. “Yes, I told him. He refuses to accept that it’s his doing. He's ...” He looked at King, his eyes full of happiness. King shook his head and then kissed him midsentence. 

“Hmmm, sorry,” Ram pulled away, giggling breathlessly. “Mum, I’ll call you back. I promise. I just needed to tell you the news. But I have to go.”

King kissed him again and this time Ram kissed him back. 

“Mum? Are you still there?” he was so giddy he was gasping for air now. “Yes, please tell Ruj? I’ll take him out for lunch next week. Yes. I’ll bring P'King. Yes. Hmhmm. I … I love you. I gotta go!”

He hung up even though his mum was still calling his name and King was surprised when Ram pulled his face close and kissed him, his phone slipping from his other hand before he pushed it into King’s hair. 

Finally, he pulled away again and dropped his head on his arm, closing his eyes, a blissful smile on his face. 

King looked at him, in awe at how bubbly he had just been with his mother and right in front of him – the exact opposite of how he had been when they had met. 

“Hey, pretty boy,” he said with a smile and Ram opened one eye before scrunching up his nose. 

“Don’t call me that.”

King rested his head on his arm as well to bring their faces closer together. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

Ram swallowed and looked at him openly. Then he nodded. “You said everything would be okay,” he smiled. “And you were right.”

King moved a little closer until their foreheads touched. “What kind of food did you order?”

“Hmm?” Ram seemed surprised by the change in topic and King chuckled. 

“I’m just asking how long we have until it arrives.”

“Oh,” Ram grinned and then kissed him. “According to your calculation, and supported by the fact that we are on the couch, we have plenty of time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you so much for reading :)
> 
> I will write the odd one-shot as sequels to this, like the two already posted, and I already have a few ideas. However, there was this cute kiss-prompt-list on Tumblr, so if you would like me to write one of them in particular, I will: https://days-of-storm.tumblr.com/post/634653685056667648/fictional-kiss-prompts
> 
> I've already written one for #20: https://days-of-storm.tumblr.com/post/634666178415099904/20-of-the-kiss-prompts-with-ramking-like-an


End file.
